In the ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic within the United States, drug makers and independent scientists have begun looking into the development of marijuana-based painkillers as an alternative option for those suffering from chronic pain.

A recent article in Fortune details some of the steps that are currently being taken in the effort to develop alternatives to opioid-based drugs that are often prescribed to patients or purchased illegally on the street. The article outlines studies that show the benefits of marijuana-based recovery methods and how many pro-medical marijuana states have reported fewer opiate related deaths on average.

These statistics, combined with the fact that there are records of marijuana overdose induced deaths, have pushed many health care professionals to start seriously considering cannabis-based drugs as viable options. The current restrictions on the drug by the Federal Government, however, have slowed the research and development phases of these experiments considerably.