Medical marijuana could save Medicaid $1 billion in prescription drug costs

[applegrove]

by Mike Adams, The Frest Toast, at Salon

http://www.salon.com/2017/04/20/study-medical-marijuana-could-save-medicaid-1-billion_partner/

"SNIP..................


If Congress were to legalize medical marijuana nationwide for medicinal purposes, it could save the Medicaid program $1 billion in prescription drug costs, according to new study published in Health Affairs.

Researchers say that after examining a number of jurisdictions to determine whether medical marijuana laws were having an affect on the sale of prescription drugs, it became clear that the federal government could save the program a substantial amount of money by simply giving the entire nation access to cannabis medicine.

In states with medical marijuana laws on the books, researchers found that Medicaid saved in upwards of $475.8 million in 2014. This means state medical marijuana programs replaced around 2 percent of Medicaid’s $23.9 billion in annual prescription expenditures.

Considering the impact, the study suggests that Medicare could have easily saved $1 billion during that time.


..................SNIP"

[ciaobaby]

1. now we know why most of congress wants it to be illegal.

Big Pharma sees the damage it would do to their profits and so many congress men and women get paid handsomely to tote the line.

[WePurrsevere]

2. The current admin won't give a damn but...

hopefully this will encourage more states to legalize it and make it easily accessible for medical reasons at the very least. It save money and make life so much more bearable for so many.

[GWC58]

3. This is going to HAVE TO BE a

state by state legalization, and then only by voter intuitive. I don't see any state legislature doing it. They are all bought and paid for by Big Pharma, LE, big alcohol, private prison industry, big tobacco, etc. The list is big! We know Congress will do nothing, absolutely nothing on this subject. We know dumbass isn't going to do anything, for or against. He's too fucking stupid!! It's going to be the Free States of America. The repressive states will stay repressive, maybe even more so.

[loyalsister]

4. Something is missing

it's not clear whether they are assuming medicaid would cover cannabis or if the savings would be in the medicaid recipients paying for their treatment out of pocket?