Feb 22, 2019
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/3byI8yHsefY
From the “you can’t legislate common sense or morality” department, a study just published in the International Journal of Drug Policy reveals no reduced consumption of marijuana in countries where cannabis use is illegal. The investigators tabulated World Health Organization data covering more than 100,000 teens living in 38 countries including the US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, and Russia.
Those countries with more liberal marijuana policies did not experience higher rates of use. This study was completed to check the conclusions of a 2015 study that predicted a rise in teen cannabis use with a drop in legal restraints.
Marijuana is not innocuous. If used and overused, it drives cognitive and productivity declines. This week, other stories demonstrate its negative and lasting effect on the brain and its role in triggering heart attack.
Education and not legislation is the key to insuring responsible drug use.
#cannabis #marijuanalegalization #education #healthnews #healthtips
Alex Stevens. Is policy ‘liberalization’ associated with higher odds of adolescent cannabis use? A re-analysis of data from 38 countries. International Journal of Drug Policy, 2019; 66: 94 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2019.01.013
Shi Y, Lenzi M, An R (2015) Cannabis Liberalization and Adolescent Cannabis Use: A Cross-National Study in 38 Countries. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0143562. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0143562