Is legalizing cannabis associated with use of cannabis, cigarettes, and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)?
There’s a new original investigation into cannabis legalization and cigarette use from the substance use and addiction team at the Journal of the American Medical Association. It’s important research that will likely be twisted to serve multiple interests, from tobacco sellers to pot prohibitionists. So we figure it is best to excerpt the actual study before five o’clock news crews get their hands on it.
The report comes from researchers at the Cambridge Health Alliance Health Equity Research Lab, working with the Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry. Their objective: “To assess the association of cannabis legalization and commercialization with the use of cannabis, cigarettes, and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in the 5 years after legalization in the US.”
Their conclusion, in short: “In this longitudinal cohort study, [recreational cannabis legalization] RCL was associated with more cannabis and ENDS use after 5 years and no significant change in cigarette use. Furthermore, cannabis use increased over time, underscoring the importance of studying commercialization policy going forward.”
“Based on the present results, it is unlikely RCL has been associated with a large increase in cigarette use, but increases in use of cannabis and vaped nicotine bear close monitoring as retail cannabis rapidly expands.”
Read the whole study here and use it to bolster your own cause.
