Weekly Stories, Studies, Surveys, Poll Results, Laws, etc.
Analysis: Marijuana Retailers Linked To Fewer Opioid Deaths, No Increase in Fatal Motor Vehicle Accidents
Emeryville, CA: Counties with a high volume of marijuana retailers have reduced levels of opioid-related deaths and do not experience increases in either traffic-related fatalities or suicide, according to data published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
A pair of researchers affiliated with the Public Health Institute in California assessed the relationship between cannabis retail store density and countywide mortality rates from suicide, motor vehicle accidents, opioid poisoning, homicide, and accidental poisonings in Washington state.
They reported, “Significant reductions in mortality rates were associated with increased county recreational cannabis store rates for both accidental poisonings and opioid poisoning deaths.”
Researchers theorized that these reductions “could be due to substitution of cannabis with opioids, alcohol and other drug use or quantities of use among those with heavy habitual use and use disorders.” Survey data published in November in The Harm Reduction Journal found that consumers frequently use cannabis as a substitute for other substances, including alcohol, methamphetamine, morphine, and tobacco.
Investigators did not find any correlation between retail store density and elevated rates of either motor vehicle accidents, homicide, or suicide.
The study’s authors concluded: “The results … do not provide any evidence of increased mortality associated with having more stores selling cannabis. … While these findings should be interpreted in the context of the broader literature on cannabis legalization, they are consistent with the possibility that increased access to legal cannabis reduced poisoning mortality in the first seven years of recreational stores operating in the state of Washington.”
Other studies have similarly documented an association between cannabis dispensaries and declines in opioid-related mortality, while assessments correlating adult-use marijuana access and motor vehicle accident trends have yielded less consistent results.
Full text of the study, “Cannabis retail store density and county-level mortality from injury in the state of Washington from 2009-2020,” appears in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
Federal Appeals Court Rejects Disarmament of Marijuana Consumers
St. Louis, MO: Judges on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals have rejected arguments that the federal government can unconditionally bar adults from possessing firearms because of their status as cannabis consumers.
The Court opined that “Nothing in our tradition allows disarmament simply because [the defendant] belongs to a category of people, drug users, that Congress has categorically deemed dangerous.” Rather, judges determined that constitutional questions surrounding the disarmament of drug users must be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Federal officials have long maintained that marijuana’s illicit status under federal law precludes any consumer from legally owning a firearm.
The ruling is the latest in a series of decisions challenging the government’s interpretation of a 1968 law prohibiting the possession of a firearm by an “unlawful user” of a federally controlled substance. Judges on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals have twice ruled that Americans’ 2nd Amendment rights cannot be infringed solely based upon one’s substance use.
A separate legal challenge to the federal government’s ban, initially brought by former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried (who now serves as a member of NORML’s Board of Directors) and several medical cannabis patients, remains pending in the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
The case is United States v Cooper.
Study: Retail Cannabis Sales Associated With Reduced Drinking Among Young Adults
New York, NY: Fewer young adults report using alcohol following the opening of licensed marijuana retailers, according to data published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Researchers affiliated with the City University of New York and the University of Alabama at Birmingham assessed the relationship between adult-use legalization laws and consumers’ use of alcohol and tobacco. Data was gathered from a nationally representative cohort of more than 400,000 respondents over ten years.
While investigators reported limited effects on population-wide alcohol and tobacco consumption post-legalization, they did acknowledge reduced use among particular demographic cohorts. Specifically, college-educated adults and those aged 30 to 39 reduced their use of alcohol and cigarettes following marijuana legalization. Alcohol use also declined among young adults (those between the ages of 18 and 29). Among older adults (those aged 50 to 59), binge drinking frequency declined, as did their use of cigarettes.
“The findings suggest that the impact of RCLs [recreational cannabis laws] on alcohol and tobacco use is complex,” the study’s authors concluded. “Alcohol and cannabis, as well as tobacco and cannabis, may function as both complements and substitutes. Different individuals may use these substances for either reason, and the same individuals may engage in complementary or substitute behaviors depending on personal preference and accessibility. … More research is needed to evaluate the effects of RCLs over time.”
While survey data finds that many consumers acknowledge substituting marijuana for alcohol, observational data gathered from jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis is mixed – with some studies reporting dips in alcohol sales post-legalizations and others reporting no significant changes at the population level.
Full text of the study, “The effect of recreational cannabis laws on alcohol and tobacco use among US adults, 2012 to 2022,” appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Trump Taps Veteran Drug Warrior To Lead DEA
Washington, DC: President Donald Trump has nominated career DEA official Terry Cole to be the head of the drug enforcement agency. If approved, Cole will replace Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz.
Cole previously spent over 20 years in leadership roles at DEA. Currently, he serves as Virginia’s secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Throughout his tenure in law enforcement, Cole has taken a hardline approach to marijuana and has expressed support for the ‘Just Say No’ strategies of the 1980s.
If confirmed, Cole will oversee the next phase of an ongoing administrative petition to reschedule marijuana. Hearings were set to begin in January but were postponed pending the resolution of an interlocutory appeal.
Commenting on the appointment, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Trump’s nominee to head the DEA is a lifelong drug war hawk whose outdated attitudes toward cannabis are out of step with those of most Americans. At a time when most Americans are demanding long overdue changes in federal cannabis policy, Trump’s pick epitomizes the failed policies and approaches of the past.”
Analysis: More Than One in Ten Americans Use CBD
La Miranda, CA: More than ten percent of the US population ages 12 and older acknowledge consuming CBD within the past 30 days, according to data published in Preventive Medicine Reports.
Data gathered from a nationally representative cohort estimated that 10.5 percent of Americans currently consume CBD products. Respondents who identified as cannabis consumers were more likely to use CBD than those who did not. Females, as well as those who reported being in poorer health, were also more likely to use CBD products as compared to their peers.
“This is the first study to date that provides the prevalence of CBD use in the general United States population,” the study’s author concluded. “Given the widespread use of CBD products, …it is important to implement public health education targeting the public about safe use, effectiveness, and efficacy of CBD products and potential drug interaction effects when used in conjunction with marijuana.”
Prior studies have reported a rise in the popularity of CBD products among patients age 65 or older – many of whom acknowledge using the products in lieu of other medications.
Despite the popularity of commercially produced CBD products, they remain largely unregulated. Accordingly, analyses conducted by the FDA and others consistently report that over-the-counter CBD products are of variable quality and potency and may contain contaminants, adulterants, or elevated levels of heavy metals.
Full text of the study, “Patterns of cannabidiol use among marijuana users in the United States,” appears in Preventive Medicine Reports.
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