A new study released in the journal Health Affairs has confirmed why Big Pharma and medical marijuana are mortal enemies.
According to Medical Cannabis News, the study found that, in the 17 states with medical marijuana, prescriptions for painkillers and other classes of drugs fell sharply compared with states that did not have medical marijuana.
By "fell sharply," we mean by a lot. In fact, the average doctor in a state with medical marijuana prescribed 265 fewer doses of antidepressants, 486 fewer doses of seizure medication, 541 fewer anti-nausea doses, and 562 fewer doses of anti-anxiety medication.
Just look at the chart below...
"This provides strong evidence that the observed shifts in prescribing patterns were in fact due to the passage of the medical marijuana laws," according to the study.
Make no mistake: This shift towards non-pill-based prescriptions is costing Big Pharma millions.
For example, one 50-milliliter dose of prescribed Zofran, a popular anti-nausea medication, can cost around $255, according to Drugs.com.
So, an average of 541 fewer doses means about $137,955 in lost revenue - and that's just for one doctor cutting back on prescriptions.
According to market researcher VisionGain, the worldwide business for pain drugs is worth about $68 billion right now.
But marijuana's medicinal potential could soon be taking a big slice of those profits. The legal market for medical marijuana exceeded $4 billion in 2015 and will likely reach $35 billion by early next decade, according to ArcView Market Research and New Frontier Data.
So it's no wonder the pain pill industry is at war with medical marijuana.
"The recent surge in the number of pain sufferers - coupled with the snapback against the prescription of opioid drugs - has opened the door to a wholly new approach to pain treatment: medical marijuana," said Money Morning Director of Technology and Venture Capital Research Michael A. Robinson yesterday (Nov. 7).
"Study after study has shown that up to two dozen medical conditions could be treated with marijuana," he added.
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And there's one company in particular that medical marijuana investors should be watching...
For the past five years, this company has been cultivating strains of the marijuana plant with an eye to increasing concentrations of two key ingredients with major healing properties: CBD and THC.
"Its research has been fruitful, showing incredible promise," said Michael.
In fact, he sees opportunities to realize 1,000% gains from this company alone.
After all, its newest drug is about to dramatically change the lives of the 3 million epilepsy sufferers in the United States (and the 62 million sufferers worldwide)...
This Company Will Lead the Medical Marijuana Pack
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We're talking about GW Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE: GWPH), a UK-based biotech that first landed on Michael's radar in 2014 and has delivered peak gains of more than 65% to folks that got in early with Michael's Roadmap to Marijuana Millions.
Now, Michael is recommending it again. This time, the gains could be even bigger...
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That's because GW Pharma has developed a new "miracle" treatment for children suffering from adolescent epilepsy. The drug is called Epidiolex, and it has been quickly moving through clinical trials.
According to the study results, patients have experienced a greater than 50% reduction in seizures. For someone experiencing an average of 100 or more seizures a day - which is all too common with severe epilepsy - that reduction is transformative.
"Based on these results, GW Pharmaceuticals has a head start on all of its competitors," said Michael. "In fact, Epidiolex's U.S. trials are already wrapped up, and GW plans to file for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval soon."
Epidiolex could be on the market just months after filing for FDA approval. Following approval, GW Pharma will have exclusive sales rights to the drug for seven years in the United States and 10 years in Europe.
"Those will be very profitable years," said Michael. "Right now, GW Pharma is looking to make its treatments available to 466,000 children in the United States who suffer from epilepsy and another 208,000 in key European markets."
GW is also testing Epidiolex in phase 2 trials with adult epilepsy patients. That's a far larger market, as there are around 65 million adults with epilepsy worldwide.
"Simply put, sales for juveniles alone could be a blockbuster drug launch. Solely based on approval for children with epilepsy, annual sales for Epidiolex may exceed $1 billion five years from now - 'official' blockbuster status," said Michael.
That means now is the time to get in on this revolutionary company.
Here's how...
Get Ready for Another Round of Potential Profits
Readers who invested in GW Pharma after reading Michael's Roadmap to Marijuana Millions last year had the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this groundbreaking company.
But these opportunities are far from over...
For the last eight months, Michael and his team have dedicated thousands of man hours and over $250,000 toward the most exhaustive analysis of the marijuana industry to date.
He's met with leading growers, dispensaries, angel investors...
And he's vetted the next generations of weed stocks that are poised to make marijuana investors rich.
They're all in his newly released and updated Roadmap to Marijuana Millions: Phase II. This book contains an incredibly diversified list of more than 30 of the best legal marijuana stocks on the market - including details on five tiny weed stocks that could potentially turn a small stake into $100,000.
Don't wait - this market could be worth $20 billion or more by 2020, and this "weed investors' bible" can show you how to get the best possible shot at your share of the profits.
Click here to learn how to get your copy today...
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