In Maine, medical marijuana activists are hoping to convince state lawmakers to expand the state’s list of qualifying conditions to include one of the most pressing medical conditions in the United States: opioid addiction. According to the Portland Press Herald, a public hearing has been scheduled to address the issue.

“We clearly have a major public health issue and we don’t currently have a good solution to it,” said Dr. Dustin Sulak, a leading medical marijuana expert in Maine. “Cannabis alone isn’t enough to completely solve this epidemic, but we need a treatment that can replace the opioids.”

Studies have shown that states with medical marijuana laws on the books have 24.8 percent fewer opioid deaths. Patients treated with medical marijuana have also been found to see a 64 percent reduction in their use of prescription opioids.

The public hearing is scheduled to take place on April 19, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services at 41 Anthony Ave. in Augusta, Maine.