#Nobituaries

Though nearly 3,000 Illinoisans died of opioid overdose in 2017, prescription opioids have become the de facto answer to chronic pain. When State Senator Don Harmon introduced a bill that would allow doctors to prescribe cannabis as an opioid alternative, Chicago-based medical cannabis company CRESCOlabs enlisted us to brand and promote an opioid replacement program. Given the opportunity to share an issue as vital as the ubiquity of addictive opioids, we wanted to educate and inspire our fellow Illinoisans in a disruptive way, and ultimately to get them to say #NOpioid.<br> <br>Nearly everyone knows a victim of the opioid epidemic, and overdose-related obituaries are an all-too-common sight, so we challenged ourselves to focus on the positivity provided by the alternative. Thus, we came up with NObituaries. In a series of faux newspaper clippings, we told the stories of Illinoisans who have survived by replacing prescription opioids with cannabis. The NObituaries showed a cross section of humanity: athletes recovering from injuries, veterans still battling pain, cancer survivors who won?t give up. Resilience and relatability were their commonalities.<br> <br>CRESCOlabs has been publishing these poignant tales on Instagram, along with information about the legislation and requests for followers to share their own stories.