The widespread legalization of marijuana as a painkiller could help to bring America’s epidemic of opioid misuse under control. That’s the opinion of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren anyway, having spoken this weekend of the importance of national health bodies seriously and comprehensively considering regulatory change.

She spoke of the terrifying extend of prescription painkiller addiction in her letter to Thomas Frieden, head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She made clear her belief that to explore the possibilities with legalized marijuana could make an enomous difference to a problem that’s already entirely out of control.

“Opioid abuse is a national concern and warrants swift an immediate action.”

“I hope that the CDC continues to explore every opportunity and tool available to work with states and other federal agencies on ways to tackle the opioid epidemic and collect information about alternative pain relief options,” she wrote.

“Your agency has produced an enormous amount of scientific and epidemiological data that has helped inform stakeholders on the breadth of this crisis — however there is still much we do not know.”

She insisted that the time had come to intelligently and realistically study the “effectiveness of medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids for pain treatment in states where it is legal,” while at the same time evaluating “the impact of the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana on opioid overdose deaths.”

Reports from the CDC suggest that opioid overdose deaths are skyrocketing across the United States each and every year – increasing more than 200% since the year 2000. Advocates argue that not only could marihuana be made available much more widely and for a lower price, but that it is considerably less addictive and almost impossible to overdose on.