A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health – which is an update of a 2011 study – has found that states which have legalized medical cannabis have seen a significant reduction in suicides, especially among young adults aged 20 to 29.
For the study, researchers “obtained state-level suicide data from the National Vital Statistics System’s Mortality Detail Files for 1990–2007. We used regression analysis [studying economic conditions, state policies, and state-specific linear time trends] to examine the association between medical marijuana legalization and suicides per 100?000 population.”
In doing so, researchers found that; “Legalization was associated with a 10.8% and 9.4% reduction in the suicide rate of men aged 20 through 29 years and 30 through 39 years, respectively.”
Researchers conclude that; “Suicides among men aged 20 through 39 years fell after medical marijuana legalization compared with those in states that did not legalize. The negative relationship between legalization and suicides among young men is consistent with the hypothesis that marijuana can be used to cope with stressful life events. However, this relationship may be explained by alcohol consumption. The mechanism through which legalizing medical marijuana reduces suicides among young men remains a topic for future study.”
The study can be found by clicking here.
– TheJointBlog
