With so many COVID-19 related challenges before us, we cannot lose sight of the people in our lives and in our communities struggling with addiction. The opioid crisis, and substance use disorder more broadly, need our attention now more than ever.

Alex Cohen is the Director of Learning and Evaluation for the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. As policymakers and others identify ways to address the opioid epidemic, a key tactic has been limiting opioid prescribing and promoting alternative pain remedies. Marijuana is one alternative that has been widely discussed, especially in light of the expansion of laws the allow medical use of marijuana and, recently, recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 and older. An impetus for these laws has been marijuana’s potential for pain relief. The expansion of medical and adult-use marijuana laws over time provides a unique opportunity to understand the impact of increased access to marijuana on opioid […]