According to the federal government, marijuana is a Schedule 1 substance, and many legislators and physicians are skeptical that it has a role in medicine.Medical marijuana, according to some doctors, is not adequately controlled. Others argue that there isn’t enough scientific data to establish whether or not cannabis can help individuals manage their pain or help them quit using painkillers.

But proponents like Dr. Dustin Sulak, a certified osteopathic physician in Maine who treats patients with medicinal marijuana, believe it has helped start a dialogue about marijuana as a possible option. Cannabis boosts the pain alleviation of opioids, and is more effective when they function together.

Read the full story in this article, Can Medical Marijuana Help End the Opioid Epidemic?

This article written by Alexandra Sifferlin was originally published in Time Magazine on July 28, 2016.