Letter to the editor: Another approach to opioid crisis

The letter “We can’t police ourselves out of opioid crisis” (May 4, TribLIVE) says “making medication-assisted opioid detoxification (MAOD) widely accessible should be the top priority” vs. hiring police to use opioid settlement money to reduce overdose deaths. Additionally, the article states the “CDC recommends evidence-based strategies for preventing opioid overdose such as targeted naloxone and syringe services programs.” This “will involve creating and staffing MAOD clinics rather than pumping money into law enforcement.” I offer another approach to mitigate the opioid crisis more quickly and at lower cost.

Management Science Associates Inc. (MSA) representatives presented a “scientific poster” at a Pharmaceutical Management Science Association conference in Los Angeles this month , with results of an analysis of patient data from eight cannabis dispensaries integrated with patient health care data using MSA deidentification technology protecting patient privacy. This research, recently acclaimed at a San Diego conference, shows patients using legal opioids for pain who then use cannabis reduced their opioid use 30% on average, with some ceasing use of opioids. This includes analysis of specific products, forms and dosage most effective helping patients reduce use of opioids.

The above research could be used at Pennsylvania’s 170 dispensaries, or a sample of them, to help Pennsylvania dispensary personnel and patients obtain quick guidance to reduce or eliminate opioid use at low cost to reduce requirements for MOAD centers and/or additional police.

Alfred Kuehn

Cheswick