Category: Marijuana

Marijuana

Posted on

Legalization of Cannabis in Colorado Associated with Reductions in Opioid Deaths

Marijuana and Opioids

Researchers from the University of North Texas School of Public Health, the University of Florida, and Emory University published a study which found that legalization of cannabis in Colorado was associated with short-term reductions in opioid-related deaths.  The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health.

The researchers set out to examine the association between Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis use and opioid-related deaths.  They compared changes in opioid-related deaths before and after Colorado stores began selling recreational cannabis.

The study results showed that Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis sales and use resulted in a 0.7 deaths per month reduction in opioid-related deaths.  This reduction represented a reversal of the upward trend in opioid-related deaths in Colorado.

See the study – Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Opioid-Related Deaths in Colorado.

Contact us to learn more about California state or local cannabis regulations, cannabis regulatory compliance, and cannabis litigation.

Posted on

Public Support for Legalizing Marijuana at All Time High

Public Support Legalizing Marijuana

Gallup recently conducted a new poll which showed public support for legalizing marijuana at an all time high of 64%.

Interestingly, a majority of Republicans now support legalizing marijuana which was not the case in last year’s Gallup poll.  51% of Republicans now say marijuana should be legalized.  That number was at 42% last year indicating a substantial trending shift in Republican support for legalizing marijuana.

When Gallup first asked this question in 1969, 12% of Americans supported the legalization of marijuana use.  In the late 1970s, support rose to 28% but began to retreat in the 1980s during the era of the “Just Say No” to drugs campaign.  Support stayed in the 25% range through 1995, but increased to 31% in 2000 and has continued climbing since then.

In 2013, support for legalization reached a majority for the first time after Washington and Colorado became the first states to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.

Results for the Gallup poll were based on telephone interviews conducted October 5-11, 2017, with a random sample of 1,028 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia.

Read more about the Marijuana Gallup Poll.