A New Leaf: A Perspective on Marijuana Use

The prescribing of chronic opioid therapy to patients who contemplate or are already using marijuana, whether medical or recreational, sets up the perfect storm for medical decision-making and risk management conundrums, especially in the current environment of opioid related hospital admissions and fatal overdoses, and the additional challenge of multiple prescribers of other drugs, like benzodiazepines and sleep medicine. The likelihood of a perfect storm is more apparent, and the risks to the prescriber of opioids to marijuana users increased, when opioid prescribing standards lack meaningful guidance. Dr. Doug Gourlay and Attorney Jen Bolen discuss.