PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Residents of states where medical marijuana is legalized suffer fewer overdoses from prescription pain medication than elsewhere, says a new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
Opioid analgesics are a class of pain medications that include popular pills like OxyContin, Percocet and Vicodin. Though effective at suppressing moderate to severe pain, opioid analgesics are addictive and linked with a range of negative side effects.