Study: Does Legalizing Marijuana Affect Harmonious Drug Use?

In the United States, debates continue about the legalization of marijuana. There are significant disagreements among Democratic presidential candidates. Writes about this with the BBC.

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Joe Biden, while one of the main contenders for victory in this race, does not have a clear opinion. Before legalizing cannabis in the U.S., he is seeking more evidence on whether marijuana could be a so-called gateway drug that would encourage the population to use harder drugs.

“Before I legalize it nationally,” Biden said, “I want to make sure we have a lot more scientific information on this.”

But other Democrats, such as Corey Booker and Kamala Harris, criticize this approach and say that there is clear evidence and the use of cannabis needs to be legalized.

“Let's be honest: marijuana is not a gateway drug and should be legalized,” Kamala Harris said.

The legalization of marijuana is also supported by other Democrats, such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

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Surveys Pew Research Center shows that public support for legalization in the last decade is constantly growing, and now it is supported by two-thirds of Americans.

What does science say?

In the United States, the use of medical cannabis was legalized in 33 states, while 11 states and Washington, DC also legalized the recreational use of marijuana. But cannabis use remains illegal at the federal level.

Is there evidence that legalizing marijuana can lead to the use of more dangerous substances?

The US government's National Institute on Drug Abuse states that "some research suggests that marijuana use likely precedes the use of other substances, both legal and illicit." They cite experiments on animals that found increased sensitivity to other drugs after consuming substances containing cannabis.

However, the institute adds that cannabis is not unique in this - alcohol and nicotine have a similar effect. And they note that most people who use marijuana do not start using other, more “heavy” substances.

Denise Kandel of the Mailman School of Public Health in New York says animal studies show changes in how the brain reacts to cocaine after exposure to alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana.

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She also says, “It is impossible to establish a clear link between marijuana use and other drug use because there are many other contributing factors that cannot be controlled for in a study.”

A report recently published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse said: “The evidence for the impact of easing cannabis restrictions on the use of other substances is inconclusive.”

What is the situation in the states where marijuana is legalized?

There is evidence that in states where cannabis was legalized, drug use among adolescents either decreased or remained unchanged.

At the same time, there is a study showing that among adults older than 26, legalization leads to more cannabis use.

There is also evidence that regular use of stronger varieties of cannabis is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems, especially among young people.

Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Colorado legalized cannabis between 2014 and 2016, among the first states to do so. Do they have any particular tendencies to use harder drugs?

US authorities collect data on drug overdose deaths, and between 2013 and 2017, 35 states saw significant increases in deaths. Alaska made the list, but Washington, Colorado and Oregon did not.

Most fatal overdoses have been associated with opioids, with the exception of methadone.

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Unlike Alaska, opioid mortality in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon did not increase significantly between 2013 and 2016 over the years.

And estimates of cocaine use in the four states that have legalized marijuana show that it was above the national average from 2013 to 2016. But in three of those states, cocaine use was also higher in 2012, before legalization took effect.

There are many different factors that influence drug use in each state—availability and supply, treatment and rehabilitation programs, law enforcement priorities, and socioeconomic conditions—making it difficult to draw clear conclusions.

Therefore, in order to determine whether there are clear trends in the use of other drugs where cannabis has been legalized, more research needs to be done over a longer period.

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