Illicit Cannabis Use And Use Disorders Increase In States With Medical Marijuana Laws

An analysis of nationwide study information indicates that laws legalizing medical cannabis usage are associated with boosts in illegal cannabis usage and cannabis use disorders amongst grownups. The research was moneyed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), both part of the National Institutes of Health.

Comparing overall trends in states with medical cannabis laws to states without these laws, the authors taken a look at information from 3 NIAAA-supported surveys carried out in 1991-1992, 2001-2002, and 2012-2013. In addition, the definition of cannabis use condition was based upon the DSM-IV definition of cannabis abuse or dependence in the past 12 months. The authors estimate that an extra 1.1 million adult illegal cannabis users and an additional 500,000 adults with a DSM-IV cannabis condition might be attributable to medical cannabis law passage. However, investigators also keep in mind there might be other contributing elements.

These findings underscore the value of examining how more liberal state cannabis laws can increase the threat of cannabis-related health consequences. An accompanying commentary on the post by NIDA scientists highlights the prospective unfavorable effects of cannabis on psychological health.

For a copy of the paper — «U.S. Adult Illicit Cannabis Use, Cannabis Use Disorder, and Medical Marijuana Laws: 1991-1992 to 2012-2013″- published in JAMA Psychiatry, Go to http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2619522.