University of Georgia Researchers Find Medical Marijuana Helps Medicare

A father and daughter team at the University of Georgia conducted a marijuana-related study which concluded that Medicare saved $165.2 million in prescriptions costs from the legalization of medical marijuana in the U.S. The team shows that nationwide medical marijuana approval would save Medicare $468 million on average in prescription costs.

Researcher David Bradford said, “There’s a significant amount of clinical use at work here.”

Currently, the major issue with Georgia’s medical marijuana program is the inability to purchase medicine within the state, as News To Me reports. Georgians suffering from severe illnesses like cancer or sickle cell diseases are permitted to possess up to 20-ounces of marijuana oil, but it is not permitted to be purchased within Georgia state lines.

Given that interstate transportation is illegal on a federal level, this leaves Georgians at a significant hindrance.

The UGA study concluded that, in states with legalized medical marijuana programs, doctors wrote less prescriptions for pill-form medications.