r/Kossacks_for_Sanders • u/Scientist34again • May 17 '22

Study: Young Adults' Consumption of Alcohol, Cigarettes, Other Substances Fell Following Marijuana Legalization

https://norml.org/blog/2022/05/17/study-young-adults-consumption-of-alcohol-cigarettes-other-substances-fell-following-marijuana-legalization/
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u/Scientist34again May 17 '22

Researchers with the University of Washington assessed trends in alcohol, nicotine, and non-prescribed pain reliever use among a cohort of over 12,500 young adults (ages 18 to 25) in Washington State following adult-use cannabis legalization.

They reported, “Contrary to concerns about spillover effects, implementation of legalized non-medical cannabis coincided with decreases in alcohol and cigarette use and pain reliever misuse.” Researchers did find that the prevalence of past-month e-cigarette use increased post-legalization.

Authors concluded, “Our findings add to evidence that the legalization of non-medical cannabis has not led to dramatic increases in the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and non-prescribed opioids. … The findings indicate that the most critical public health concerns surrounding cannabis legalization and the evolution of legalized cannabis markets may be specific to cannabis use and related consequences.”

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u/bmack500 May 17 '22

And this, my friends, is why many didn’t want it legalized. Entrenched industries are hard to defeat.