The amount of people who experience some kind of chronic physical pain is staggeringly high.
Sadly many of these people were deprived of the medications that they desperately needed because of the political climate over the past 15 years or so, but at least there are some kinds of alternatives out there if someone wants to try them.
An example is the plant kratom that is native to Thailand among other places in southeast Asia. Although it shows a similar propensity for addiction as opiates have, it’s the only option some severe pain patients have if they live in a state that lacks compassion for their disorders. Even if your plan is to keep opiates out of the hands of people who don’t actually need them, that doesn’t mean you should also take them away from the few that actually do need them. Kratom was a good option for those who could handle it on a weak stomach, but lately most of the people I know with chronic pain have become huge CBD and hemp fans. They will take large doses of CBD to knock back their pain symptoms. I’m always impressed when I hear about the relief that many people get these cannabinoids, although I’m more of a traditional cannabis type of guy. Regardless, I recommend CBD to all of my friends and family when I find out someone is experiencing any kind of pain or physical discomfort. It’s not nearly as expensive on some websites as it is at local grocery stores or pharmacies. I just wish that traditional cannabis with high THC was legal just like hemp is right.