Pennsylvania has recognized medical marijuana as a potential treatment to opiod addiction, which is a nationwide epidemic.

In early May, Pennsylvania added on to their qualifying serious medical conditions list by including neurodegenerative diseases, terminal illnesses, dyskinetic and spastic movement disorders, and opiod-use disorder.

Though medical marijuana won't be the first nor only substitute for failed treatment methods; it could be a effective for some patients struggling to kick this terrible addiction. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 2016 numbers; Pennsylvania had a 37.9% opiod addiction rate, among the highest in the nation.

Pennsylvania's Secretary of Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, notes that by adding opiod-use disorder to the approved medical conditions list research will be able to be done to measure the effectiveness of medical marijuana for treating opiod addiction.