MMJ (cannabis) didn’t work for me. Made my thinking slow and did diddly squat for my pain. Since I don’t smoke, I had to use edibles, and nausea also became an issue. Alas. It would have been so much simpler than using opiates/opioids because of all the current hysteria. I’ve used the fruit of the poppy for years, successfully and with minimal side effects, by carefully following the directions on the prescription label. I’m unable to use NSAIDs in sufficient dose to be helpful. I take APAP <2g/day to supplement. My issues are caused by my spine, and invasive procedures are not an option for me.

In any event, prescription pain meds are NOT the primary OD problem. If they were, the drastic cutback in the number of opiate/opioid prescriptions would have caused a significant concurrent drop in the number of overdoses; unfortunately, the number of overdoses increased dramatically in spite of a large reduction in the number of prescriptions.

It’s the iron law of prohibition: the stricter the prohibition, the more expensive, dangerous and concentrated the prohibited substances become. The more concentrated the substance, the more likely an overdose becomes. Illicit fentanyl is a good contemporary example, as bathtub gin was in the past.

Fortunately, for all practical purposes it is impossible to overdose on cannabis in terms of causing breathing problems. Overdoses of MMJ (cannabis) can however cause befuddlement, anxiety and panic, so as with all potentially hazardous substances, one is well advised to start with the lowest possible dose and increase very slowly until the lowest effective dose is achieved.

If cannabis works for you, splendid! But for some folks, opiates/opioids are safer and more effective. Do not accept the stigma if this is the case for you.