But cannabis can also be highly addictive IMO and can definitely cause anxiety/panic attacks in some people (especially with too high a dose in an inexperienced user).
Anecdotally, the biggest potheads I know can take a month off without impact to their lives.
Regarding anxiety and panic attacks, I'm sure that's possible, but people don't die from it. An extra cup of coffee would do something similar for a longer period of time.
I don't think we've studied cannabis enough to truly know the negatives, but even heavily discounted historical and anecdotal evidence would suggest it's less harmful than opioids. That potential for harm might be low enough that you simply try it first for pain management, before moving on to stronger things that carry their own sets of risks. I'm not a doctor (or a cannabis enthusiast), just what I think I think.
I agree that anxiety can be an issue especially with novice users, but those effects vary person to person and strain to strain.