Much of the medical marijuana discussion has focused on the safety of marijuana compared to the safety of FDA-approved drugs. ProCon.org sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to find the number of deaths caused by marijuana compared to the number of deaths caused by 17 FDA-approved drugs. Twelve of these FDA-approved drugs were chosen because they are commonly prescribed in place of medical marijuana, while the remaining five FDA-approved drugs were randomly selected because they are widely used and recognized by the general public.
Jan. 1, 1997 was chosen as the starting date of the study because it is the beginning of the first year following the Nov. 1996 approval of the first state medical marijuana laws (such as California’s Proposition 215).
Summary of Deaths by Drug Classification (Jan. 1, 1997 to June 30, 2005)
|
DRUG CLASSIFICATION
|
Specific
Drugs per Category |
Primary
Suspect of the Death |
Secondary Suspect(Contributing to death)
|
Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05 |
|
| A. MARIJUANA also known as: Cannabis sativa L |
0
|
279
|
279
|
||
| B. ANTI-EMETICS (used to treat vomiting) |
196
|
429
|
625
|
||
| C. ANTI-SPASMODICS (used to treat muscle spasms) |
118
|
56
|
174
|
||
| D. ANTI-PSYCHOTICS (used to treat psychosis) |
1,593
|
702
|
2,295
|
||
| E. OTHER POPULAR DRUGS (used to treat various conditions including ADD, depression, narcolepsy, erectile dysfunction, and pain) |
8,101
|
492
|
8,593
|
||
| F. TOTALS of A-E |
Number
of Drugs in Total |
Primary
Suspect of the Death |
Secondary Suspect(Contributing to death)
|
Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05 |
|
|
1
|
0
|
279
|
279
|
|
|
17
|
10,008
|
1,679
|
11,687
|
|
> Marijuana vs Pills Deaths | Procon.org
