Study: Medical Marijuana Legalization leads to decrease in suicide rates

[kpete]

Study: Medical Pot Legalization Correlated With Fewer Suicides

They concluded: “Policymakers weighing the pros and cons of legalization should consider the possibility that medical marijuana laws may lead to fewer suicides among young adult males.”
http://ftp.iza.org/dp6280.pdf

From Alternet:

Researchers at Montana State University, the University of Colorado, and San Diego State University assessed rates of suicide in the years before and after the passage of statewide medical marijuana laws.

Authors found, “The total suicide rate falls smoothly during the pre-legalization period in both MML (medical marijuana law) and non-MML states. However, beginning in year zero, the trends diverge: the suicide rate in MML states continues to fall, while the suicide rate in states that never legalized medical marijuana begins to climb gradually.”

.................

Authors theorized that the limited legalization of cannabis may “lead to an improvement in the psychological well-being of young adult males, an improvement that is reflected in fewer suicides.” They further speculated, “The strong association between alcohol consumption and suicide-related outcomes found by previous researchers raises the possibility that medical marijuana laws reduce the risk of suicide by decreasing alcohol consumption.”

They concluded: “Policymakers weighing the pros and cons of legalization should consider the possibility that medical marijuana laws may lead to fewer suicides among young adult males.”

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http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/811848/study%3A_medical_pot_legalization_correlated_with_fewer_suicides/

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. Interesting. Back to the top with you.

[Uncle Joe]

2. Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip,

one of these days, those drops of logic and common sense will create a flood that will break the dam; of fear, and ignorance.

Thanks for the thread, kpete.

[marlakay]

3. It has helped my husband with his depression

So I definitely can see that. He is older though in his 60's.

But my nephew 22 got in a car accident and was bed ridden and now in wheelchair and can't walk yet, he broke a bunch of stuff bad. He got medical pot and it helped him to be able to eat when all pain meds made him sick. And helped with his overall depression of being in bed for a month.

[Mnemosyne]

4. K&R! n/t

[frebrd]

5. I wonder if anyone has considered the possibility......

that it's the political atmosphere in which marijuana legalization can take place that can result in a decrease in suicides.

[otohara]

6. The Ability to Forget

there's no reason we need to remember everything, dwell on the bad stuff - that's why it works so well with PTSD

[eShirl]

7. kick