Right alltatup, "No, doc don't get off your soapbox".
Like you, I'm in the NE part of the USA and I'm sure you know opiate abuse is a "Real Topic" and restrictions and tighter control of the medication seems to be the only solution. I believe I have read on this forum, about several people getting off the opioids and using weed to control their pain. I have a funny feeling that the people who use weed over opiates to control pain, are not becoming addicted to the weed, are not moving on to heroin, and are not stealing and killing.
My point is that we need people like you who are willing to look into these issues with intelligence and openness. In my case I am just a common person, I don't understand the medical or political process. I am here to learn how to grow, my wife has been battling stage 4 breast cancer for almost 9 years now, (she is in a good place, no sign of any active disease) but you know at stage 4 there are no more stages, and as treatments become less and less effective, well. My wife of almost 40 years, is not a pill person, but has indicated that she might try weed for the control of pain, when that time comes. So here I am trying to prepare for that time. I, We need people like you help!