A recent study confirms what medical marijuana advocates have long tried to argue: the cannabis plant can serve as a less addictive alternative to prescription painkillers.

The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine this week, found that the states that enacted medical marijuana laws between 1999 and 2010 — more than a dozen at the time — reported 1,700 fewer prescription painkiller overdose deaths than projected. While researchers say the study has some limitations, including variations in how states classified overdose deaths, they say it makes a case for expanding options for chronic pain relief.

via Legalizing Medical Marijuana Can Help Prevent People From Overdosing On Painkillers | ThinkProgress.