Washington Times · Nov 18, 2022
Study links marijuana legalization to increased alcohol use
A demonstrator waves a flag with marijuana leaves depicted on it during a protest calling for the legalization of marijuana, outside of the White House on April 2, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) **FILE**State laws legalizing marijuana could have the “unintended consequence” of making more young adults and men abuse alcohol, according to a new health study that finds a link between them.
Three public health economists published the study Friday in JAMA Health Forum. Among 4.2 million Americans who completed national behavioral risk surveys from 2010 to 2019, alcohol use increased by 3.7% for young adults ages 18-24 in states that decriminalized recreational cannabis.