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What Have Been the Public Health Impacts of Cannabis Legalisation in the USA? A Review of Evidence on Adverse and Beneficial Effects

What Have Been the Public Health Impacts of Cannabis Legalisation in the USA? A Review of... Purpose of Review To summarise empirical research on the adverse and beneficial public health impacts of cannabis legalisation in states in the USA. Recent Findings The most consistent finding from surveys of drug use is that the legalisation of medical cannabis has so far not had an effect on rates of use or cannabis use disorders among youth, but it has increased the frequency of use among adult cannabis users. There are conflicting findings on the impact of legalisation of medical and recreational cannabis use on the following: cannabis use disorders in adults, rates of motor vehicle accidents in which the driver was impaired by cannabis, rates of suicide, and opioid-related harms. The legalisation of recreational cannabis use has increased emergency room attendances for cannabis-related medical condi- tions (acute adverse psychological effects, hyperemesis, and accidental poisoning of children). There is no evidence to date on the impact of medical or recreational legalisation on the prevalence of mental disorders such as psychoses, depression, and anxiety. Summary There is suggestive evidence that cannabis legalisation is associated with a range of public health consequences. However, current evidence is limited in the capacity to confidently conclude that these changes are the result of http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Current Addiction Reports Springer Journals

What Have Been the Public Health Impacts of Cannabis Legalisation in the USA? A Review of Evidence on Adverse and Beneficial Effects

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References (70)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2019 by Springer Nature Switzerland AG
Subject
Medicine & Public Health; Psychiatry; Neurology
eISSN
2196-2952
DOI
10.1007/s40429-019-00291-x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose of Review To summarise empirical research on the adverse and beneficial public health impacts of cannabis legalisation in states in the USA. Recent Findings The most consistent finding from surveys of drug use is that the legalisation of medical cannabis has so far not had an effect on rates of use or cannabis use disorders among youth, but it has increased the frequency of use among adult cannabis users. There are conflicting findings on the impact of legalisation of medical and recreational cannabis use on the following: cannabis use disorders in adults, rates of motor vehicle accidents in which the driver was impaired by cannabis, rates of suicide, and opioid-related harms. The legalisation of recreational cannabis use has increased emergency room attendances for cannabis-related medical condi- tions (acute adverse psychological effects, hyperemesis, and accidental poisoning of children). There is no evidence to date on the impact of medical or recreational legalisation on the prevalence of mental disorders such as psychoses, depression, and anxiety. Summary There is suggestive evidence that cannabis legalisation is associated with a range of public health consequences. However, current evidence is limited in the capacity to confidently conclude that these changes are the result of

Journal

Current Addiction ReportsSpringer Journals

Published: Nov 22, 2019

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