National Public Health May Benefit From Cannabis Legalization, New Survey Shows Why

Even though the legalization wave is getting stronger by the day, some states still outlaw marijuana entirely.

The reasons for such a stance are numerous, including adolescent access to cannabis, mixed clinical data and driving under the influence, to name a few.

Interestingly, a new study conducted by the Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC) has shown that in states where marijuana is regulated, cannabis-related harms are decreasing.

The “greater risk of cannabis-related harms was associated with states where cannabis remains illicit compared to states where cannabis is regulated," the findings from the CPPC's Cannabis Legalization and Public Health Outcomes: Part I study showed.

Researchers surveyed roughly 5,000 participants who use marijuana at least once per year in 25 U.S. states.

Key Findings

The analysis of data collected in August 2022 from the quarterly Regulatory Determinants of Cannabis Outcomes Survey (RDCOS) revealed the following in legal-cannabis states:

• Older age at first cannabis use in states where cannabis is legal (17) compared to illicit states (16.7).
• Those aged 16-20 living in legal states reported fewer days of past-month cannabis use (7.9 days in medical-only states and 9.5 days of DUIC in adult-use states) compared to those residing in states where cannabis is illicit (13.6 days).
• Lower rates of driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) in legal states (4.2 days of DUIC in medical-only states and 4.3 days of DUIC in adult-use states) compared to illicit (5.1 days of DUIC).

The researchers concluded that “cannabis legalization may encourage positive cannabis-related outcomes to public health.”

In addition, earlier this year, The U.S. Department of Justice reported that federal marijuana arrests continue to decline as more states move to legalize cannabis. Cannabis busts have dropped an average of 11% yearly since 2010 when the DEA made 8,215 arrests.

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