Just Say “Yes” or “No” to Marijuana? - Part IV

Today I will be giving all of us some further information to ponder as we consider the ramifications of legalizing marijuana for recreational use. I would like to repeat that it is my belief that marijuana has a place as a form of medical treatment for chronic intractable pain syndromes. 

As I mentioned in Part I  of this series, I have referred patients for this form of pain management in the past with positive results, understanding that this, like any other form of drug therapy, will invariably have side effects. It is also worth noting that every patient will have a different response to this drug just like any other drug. The response is dependent upon many variables such as genetics, lifestyle, and various comorbidities.

The information that I am referencing, as I noted in Part I, is from a presentation by Alex Berenson. Mr. Berenson graduated from Yale University with degrees in history and economics. He was an investigative journalist for the New York Times for more than 10 years. He has published a number of books on a variety of topics. You can find them at these links: “The Number: How the Drive for Quarterly Earnings Corrupted Wall Street and Corporate America,” and “Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence.” I have reviewed much of the research on the subject and concur with Mr. Berenson's findings.


I know that much of what I will share with you will cause controversy, although as of the date that I am writing this piece, I have not received any strongly worded responses from readers. I simply ask that you listen to the facts that I present, consider them, and then formulate your own opinion based on this information and your further research.

CRIME

As I had discussed in the last installment of this series of articles, marijuana and its mind-altering component, cannabis, has been shown to cause an increase in psychological issues particularly in those who have already been diagnosed with psychosis. In this, Part IV, of this series, I will be looking into increased criminal events in the general public in states where marijuana has been legalized. I will also review studies from other countries in which this drug has been linked to changes in domestic abuse and violence. 

One study published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence in 2012 examined the findings of a federal survey of over 9,000 adolescents. They found that marijuana use was related to a doubling of domestic violence. Researchers of another study, which was published in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology in 2017, studied 6,000 British and Chinese men. They found that drug use caused a nearly five-fold increase in violence. The drug of choice for nearly all of these men was cannabis.

In 2017, Senator Corey Booker gave a speech suggesting federal legalization of marijuana. He said, “States that have legalized marijuana are seeing a decrease in violent crime.” This statement simply is not true according to statistics that have been gathered since legalization had occurred in those respective states. 

This argument is born out in the first four states to legalize marijuana for “recreational use”. They are Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon. In 2013, the year before the first two states (Colorado, and Washington) legalized marijuana, these states had about 450 murders and 33,000 aggravated assaults. By 2018 these figures had risen to 620, and 38,000, respectively. That is a 37% increase for murders and a 25% increase for aggravated assaults. These figures are actually significantly higher than the national average even after accounting for population growth.

Can we draw a direct link here to the legalization of marijuana? That is difficult to do without examining every crime. However, police reports, news stories, and arrest warrants do suggest that there seems to be a significant link.

Another incredibly sad statistic is that marijuana also shows an association with many cases of child deaths from abuse and neglect. In fact, this relationship actually is greater than a link between these crimes and alcohol as well as cocaine, methamphetamines, and opioids combined. This is born out through statistics from one of the recent states to legalize marijuana: Texas.

A PREDICTION

Making anyone who either is using or is considering using marijuana aware of the potential health risks, particularly mental health risks is imperative. I will predict that in the coming years, if the use of marijuana becomes an accepted and routine occurrence, we will have a government-funded public relations and advertising campaign remarkably similar to what we have seen regarding cigarette smoking, except this one will be targeted at the health risks of using marijuana.

I hope that you have learned something new on this topic from this series of articles. It is always my intent to impart research and referenced information that will enhance your journey on the “Health and Wellness Path.”