1
|
Kalbfuss J, Odermatt R, Stutzer A. Medical marijuana laws and mental health in the United States. HEALTH ECONOMICS, POLICY, AND LAW 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38562089 DOI: 10.1017/s1744133124000033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The consequences of legal access to medical marijuana for individuals' well-being are controversially assessed. We contribute to the discussion by evaluating the impact of the introduction of medical marijuana laws across US states on self-reported mental health considering different motives for cannabis consumption. Our analysis is based on BRFSS survey data from close to eight million respondents between 1993 and 2018 that we combine with information from the NSDUH to estimate individual consumption propensities. We find that eased access to marijuana through medical marijuana laws reduce the reported number of days with poor mental health for individuals with a high propensity to consume marijuana for medical purposes and for those individuals who likely suffer from frequent pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Kalbfuss
- Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Reto Odermatt
- Faculty of Business and Economics, Center for Research in Economics and Well-Being (CREW), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alois Stutzer
- Faculty of Business and Economics, Center for Research in Economics and Well-Being (CREW), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vachhani K, Simpson AN, Wijeysundera DN, Clarke H, Ladha KS. Cannabis use among pregnant women under different legalization frameworks in the United States. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2022; 48:695-700. [PMID: 36443912 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2022.2136035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background: Cannabis use in pregnancy is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, yet its use among pregnant women in the United States has increased significantly.Objectives: This cross-sectional study explored how cannabis use in pregnant women varied between different cannabis legalization frameworks, that is, permitted use of cannabidiol (CBD)-only, medical cannabis, and adult-use cannabis.Methods: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 2017 to 2020 was utilized with respondents classified by their state's policies into CBD-only, medical, and adult-use groups. Outcome measures included prevalence of use and usage characteristics (frequency, method of intake, and reason for use) among pregnant women. Logistic regression models were estimated to evaluate the association between legal status and prevalence of use.Results: The unweighted dataset included 1,992 pregnant women. Recent cannabis use was reported by (weighted proportions): 2.4% (95%CI: 0-4.4) of respondents in the CBD-only group, 7.1% (95%CI: 4.0-10.1) in the medical group and 6.9% (95%CI: 3.0-10.9) in the adult-use group. Compared to the CBD-only group, respondents in the medical and adult-use groups were 4.5-fold (adjusted; 95%CI: 1.4-14.7; p = .01) and 4.7-fold (adjusted; 95%CI: 1.3-16.2; p = .02) more likely to use cannabis. Across all groups, smoking was the most common method of intake and over 49% of users reported using partially or entirely for adult-use purposes.Conclusions: The increased use with legalization motivates further research on the impacts of cannabis as a therapeutic agent during pregnancy and supports the need for increased screening and patient counseling regarding the potential effects of cannabis use on fetal development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathak Vachhani
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea N Simpson
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Duminda N Wijeysundera
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Anesthesia, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hance Clarke
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Karim S Ladha
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Anesthesia, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|