Problem? What Problem? –
November 13, 2019 – A new study suggests that marijuana legalization leads to more cannabis use and perhaps addiction, particularly among adults 26 and older — highlighting a public health downside to a policy change that now 11 states and Washington, DC, have adopted and several others are considering. Cerdá, who’s also a drug policy expert at New York University, cautioned that the results should not be taken to mean that legalization is a bad idea, but that the way the country legalizes should better take into account, and try to prevent, more problematic use and addiction. “This study is in no way meant to suggest that legalization shouldn’t take place,” Cerdá said. “It’s a separate issue altogether.” To that end, the study could help inform us about how to legalize, rather than if we should legalize — making it relevant not just to people who oppose legalization, but to those who are interested in getting legalization right.
