Scientists have found an unexpected negative effect of legalization of marijuana

A study published in the JAMA Psychiatry magazine found an increase in the use of heavy marijuana among adolescents in states where marijuana is legalized. In addition, the study also showed an increase in adult marijuana use. Writes about it Yahoo! News.

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As more and more states decide whether to legalize marijuana, and some 2020 presidential candidates of the year are in favor of legalizing marijuana throughout the country, research shows how marijuana legalization affects teenage use.

“Given the benefits of legalizing marijuana, it is important for states to be prepared to make marijuana more accessible, which could have public health implications,” Magdalena Cerda, assistant professor and director of the Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy at New York University Langone. Cerda is the lead author of the study.

Researchers used data from a national survey to understand how often people use marijuana and clearly identify what causes the biggest problems.

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Those who are diagnosed with a cannabis-related disorder may show symptoms such as increased drug tolerance, attempts to stop or reduce the use of drugs that do not work, and may also have social, professional, and interpersonal problems.

The study shows that among adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, problems with marijuana use were 25% higher in the states where it is legalized. Researchers note that the increase was small, from 2,18% to 2,72%. Among adults 26 and older, the cannabis-related disorder increased from 0,9% to 1,23%.

“The results in no way mean we shouldn’t legalize marijuana,” Cerda said. “If the level of use increases, state authorities must be able to understand what is happening and respond accordingly.”

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According to the authors of the study, the problems associated with the use of cannabis have a negative effect on the state of health, including increased anxiety, decreased intelligence, decreased cognitive abilities and others.

Marijuana is legalized for adults older than 21 in the 11 states and in Washington, DC, and is approved for medical use in 33 states.

To find out how marijuana use has changed, the study authors used data from the National Drug and Health Survey and specifically studied Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon from 2008 to 2016 year. The study covered about 500 000 respondents who independently reported cannabis use.

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In addition to increasing marijuana use by adolescents, the study showed that the total number of marijuana use among adults older than 26 years old has actually increased.

Adults ages 18 to 25 may be the category most at risk, Cerda said, but researchers found no difference in marijuana use among that age group before and after legalization.

This may be due to the fact that this age group did not consume more marijuana than they already did before legalization, or because of the age limit in 21 year for the purchase of legal marijuana.

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Cerda added that in addition to legalizing marijuana, states should invest in programs to treat cannabis-related disorders and to prevent marijuana use by adolescents.

She said that states should consider limiting the degree of advertising for products containing THC, limiting the amount of THC that can be included in legal products, and restricting the location of stores selling cannabis and their working hours.

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