Analysis: Cannabis Dispensary Openings Associated With Fewer Opioid Deaths

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August 15, 2025

Atlanta, GA: Counties with licensed cannabis dispensaries experience a reduction in opioid-related fatalities as compared to those without regulated marijuana access, according to an analysis of federal data published in The Washington Post.

The analysis measured county-level dispensary openings and trends in opioid-related deaths. The author reported: “When a county opens its first dispensary — giving residents easy access to marijuana – opioid death rates go down relative to counties that don’t yet have any dispensaries. The effects aren’t small, either. Ten years after that first dispensary opens, death rates in cannabis counties are, on average, about 30 percent lower than death rates in counties without a dispensary.”

He added, “The fact that the drop in deaths shows up right after the first dispensary opens – and not before – strongly suggests that opioid users do shift to marijuana, at least enough to stop overdosing.”

The findings are consistent with those of other studies reporting that increases in the volume of medical and recreational storefront dispensaries are associated with reduced opioid-related mortality rates.

Studies also report that opioid-dependent subjects acknowledge using cannabis to reduce drug cravings and mitigate withdrawal symptoms.

The analysis, “Data shows a new remedy for the opioid crisis,” is available from The Washington Post. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’