A new study has found no connection between legalized cannabis and problematic cannabis use, Marijuana Moment‘s Tom Angell reports.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Drugs in Context, looked at 329 frequent cannabis users in both states with legal cannabis and those without. The study was conducted by testing for impulsive behavior using a battery of questions known as the “Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test.”
Researchers did note a difference in rates of impulsive behavior for cannabis users versus non-using populations — but usage rates were not changed following legalization.
“Although the detrimental health effects of frequent cannabis use are well established, our findings suggest that legalisation status does not worsen these effects.” — Excerpt from the study
The study adds to a growing body of research indicating that cannabis legalization does not change rates of youth cannabis consumption nor cannabis use disorder. In fact, the narrative of cannabis law reform leading to higher levels of unhealthy consumption is rapidly falling away as research is done on the matter.
Policymakers should see this as yet another reason to reschedule or legalize cannabis federally: more extensive research — ideally funded by the federal government — needs to occur with attention to detail on things such as strain type, terpene profiles, CBD:THC ratios, and other cannabinoids.
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