Medical marijuana is still a controversial topic when it comes to doctors recommending it to their cancer patients. According to new research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, less than 30 percent of oncologists surveyed felt knowledgeable enough about medical marijuana to make recommendations.

“The amount of information we have is still relatively nascent and evolving and therefore its upon us as a community to re-up our skills in knowing about this aspect of supportive oncology,” Dr. Andrew Epstein, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and an American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) patient care expert, told Fox News.

“The misconception is that people are using that [medical marijuana] as an excuse to get high. The reality is our average patient is 55-years-old,” Spirtos said. “These people aren’t out drug seeking. These are real people with real problems that are looking for an alternative that may be more effective.”

Some doctors like Spirtos are looking into whether medical marijuana could turn into an alternative for opioids. Every day 116 people die from opioid-related drug overdoses in America.

A recent report in JAMA Internal Medicine, found a 14 percent reduction in opioid prescriptions in states that allow easy access to medical marijuana.

“In order to get someone off their opioids you need to duplicate that feeling of satisfaction, of comfort and that you do with the THC, on the other part you need the CBD to actually effect the inflammatory condition that is causing the actual pain,” Spirtos said.

Fox News article here.