A new study suggests that access to medical marijuana could dramatically reduce the number of prescription painkiller deaths in the United States.

Research published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine reports that states that have legalized medical marijuana saw 25% fewer deaths from prescription painkiller overdoses between 1999 and 2010 than states where cannabis was illegal.

As the Washington Post reports, “That meant 1,729 fewer deaths than expected in 2010 alone, and states saw their overdose rates generally improve each year after their medical marijuana laws were passed, researchers found.”

The CDC reports that 100 people die from drug overdoses every day in the U.S., and prescription painkillers account for nearly three-quarters of that number. Drug overdose death rates have more than tripled since 1990. Consumer Reports recently published an in-depth report on the dangers posed by Americans’ overuse of painkillers.

The JAMA Internal Medicine research was not designed to determine if access to medical marijuana is the primary cause of lower prescription painkiller death rates. But the data suggests there would be significant value in more research on medical cannabis as a replacement or supplement for standard prescription painkiller regimens.

Previous research has shown that patients who use marijuana in addition to prescribed opiate painkillers can manage their pain with significantly lower doses of the opiates than patients using prescription drugs alone.

Have you or any of your patients made the transition from opiates to medical marijuana for pain management? Share your story in the comments section below.