The current state of America’s opioid crisis is one of uncertainty and peril if we are to not make a change sooner than later. More than 90 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, which includes the mishandling of such prescriptions as fentanyl, codeine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and more. However, through innovations in medical technology, this epidemic may soon be resolved.

Beginning in the 1990s, the opioid crisis was caused by a lapse in judgement by pharmaceutical companies claiming that certain painkillers did not possess addictive qualities, when in fact, they did. Medical professionals around the country believed these assertions, and soon began prescribing them much more frequently. The repercussions almost immediately began to rise. Of the 50,000 drug overdose deaths that occurred in 2015, roughly 33,000 of them were caused by opioids.

One of the more widely accepted solutions to this epidemic is providing access to alternate forms of pain management, which is where MMJ BioScience’s innovative new FDA cannabis drug development comes into play. More forms of technology are being developed every day to treat patients suffering from chronic pain, and to remedy those that may be struggling with an opioid addiction.

Cryoablation is one method that relieves pain by blocking pain signals from traveling to the brain. This is done by removing signal-carrying parts of the surrounding nerves, several of which can be treated with this form of therapy.

Neurostimulation is another pain-relieving practice that involves stimulation of the spinal cord to effectively silence pain signals that are sent to the brain. This is often used in the treatment of chronic pain in order to achieve long-term results. Through a small surgical implant, doctors can control the electrical pulses sent to the spine to calm the damaged nerves. While it may be a bit more drastic, its effectiveness is typically preferred over prescription medications that can have adverse effects.

There are non-surgical approaches to neurostimulation as well. Through pulsed electromagnetic energy, products like Provant Therapy system allow patients to target their sources of pain with just a small patch; a much more practical solution to pain relief than prescription drugs.

While these are just a few of many different pieces of MMJ medical technology designed to monitor and treat pain, medical professionals must begin to understand the ramifications of simply prescribing medication. It’s often seen as a lethargic solution that offers no downsides to doctors themselves. However, the emotional turmoil that comes with addiction should be enough to spark a moral obligation within medical professionals so that they may deem opioids unnecessary, and dangerous.