United States
Higher than US
Lower than US
US Average
Past-month marijuana use ages 12 and older, 2017-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health State Estimates.
Marijuana & Legalization
Tracking the number of registered medical patients by state
11/10/21--A study analyzing medical and adult-use sales numbers looked at average basket size and category preferences in both medical and adult-use markets. Findings indicate that currently there are 39 states that have legalized medical cannabis, and 19 states that have legalized adult use. Besides South Dakota, every state that has legalized adult use had already legalized medical cannabis at an earlier date. Read Association of racial disparity of cannabis possession arrests among adults and youths with statewide cannabis decriminalization and legalization
10/29/21--In this case-control study of 43 US states with and without cannabis policy changes, decriminalization and legalization were associated with large reductions in race-based arrests among adults; however, the timing of effects suggests differential policy effects. Among youth, only decriminalization was associated with reductions in arrests and arrest disparities; cannabis arrests for adults and youth increased over time in states that did not implement a cannabis policy change. Read Public health impacts to date of the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis use in the USA
11/3/21--This study leverages the decades-long experience of legalization in the U.S. to provide an overview of the associated changes in public attitudes, cannabis markets and adverse health effects. Read Nearly 100 civil rights, policy organizations urge congress to reject Biden’s harmful sentencing proposal
10/21/21--Today, nearly 100 leading civil rights organizations, community organizers, and policy groups issued a joint letter to congressional leaders opposing President Biden’s proposal to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs. The coalition calls on Congress to let the classwide scheduling policy expire and focus on passing public-health solutions, like expanding access to harm reduction and treatment. Read Delta-8 available in 29 states while others try to ban it
9/1/21-- has been a sensation in the country. The popularity of Delta-8 THC soared throughout 2020 and many believed its reign of euphoric bliss would continue into 2021 and beyond. However, the federal government and the DEA are coming down in it, and several U.S. states are restricting or banning delta-8 is the result of confusing, conflicting, and unclear federal guidelines. Read Marijuana & Health
To end drug crisis, bring addiction out of the shadows
11/8/21--Far too often, shame and stigma fuel addiction and prevent treatment, argues Nora Volkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. But replacing judgment with compassion can save lives. Volkow emphasizes that if we’re going to end the current addiction and overdose crisis, we must treat combating stigma as no less important than developing and implementing new prevention and treatment tools. Read Harm reduction infographic
11/3/21--The tobacco industry has been trying to co-opt the term 'harm reduction' as part of its business strategy to expand its user base and grow the total market for nicotine products. Read The gateway drug phenomenon
11/2/21--The International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis (IASIC) has a medical library translated for a common understanding of the many harms of cannabis or marijuana. According to IASIC, drug abuse literature and the public press periodically embrace or push back against the “Gateway” phenomenon of drugs like marijuana. The theory behind the notion of a “Gateway” effect has been recognized by parents and addiction treatment professionals since at least the early 1980s, and to understand the gateway effect, it is important to also understand adolescent brain development. Read Independent effects of entering recovery as a young versus older adult on long-term functioning and quality of life: Results from a U.S. national study of recovering persons
11/3/21--This study examined the relationship between the life-stage at which individuals entered AOD recovery, demographic and clinical correlates, and its relationship to a variety of indices of current functioning, QoL and well-being. Read Prevalence and pathways of recovery from drug and alcohol problems in the United States population: Implications for practice, research, and policy
11/3/21--A study conducted to examine how, and by what means, individuals successfully resolve AOD problems indicates that tens of millions of Americans have successfully resolved an AOD problem using a variety of traditional and non-traditional means. Findings suggest a need for a broadening of the menu of self-change and community-based options that can facilitate and support long-term AOD problem resolution. Read Marijuana & Safety
Poison control centers nationally report rise in calls amid Delta-8 craze
7/26/21--Poison control centers across the country are reporting a rise in calls from those who have ingested the cannabinoid, delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). At least four states have issued public warnings regarding the cannabinoid, according to local news reports: Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. So far this year, as of July, the North Carolina Poison Control Center reported 157 cases related to delta-8, according to the Winston-Salem Journal. Virginia is reporting "dozens" of calls this year. Read House approves bill to let researchers access marijuana from state-legal dispensaries
7/1/21--The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved a large-scale transportation bill that includes a provision that would allow researchers to access marijuana from state-legal dispensaries in order to effectively study impaired driving. Under the House-passed measure, a federal report would need to be issued with recommendations on establishing a national clearinghouse with samples of different types of marijuana that scientists from non-legal states could obtain for studies. Read Crash rates jump in wake of marijuana legalization, new studies show
6/7/21--More evidence is emerging that crash rates go up when states legalize recreational use and retail sales of marijuana. According to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and another by the affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) show, crash rates spiked with the legalization of recreational marijuana use and retail sales in California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Read Republic Committee leaders introduce the STARTER Act 2.0 – an Investment in Roads, Bridges, Transit, and Highway Safety
5/19/21--Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) and other Republican Committee leaders today introduced a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill that provides historic levels of investment in America’s roads, bridges, and core infrastructure to meet the Nation’s growing transportation needs. Read Cannabis legalization and link to increase in fatal collisions
4/6/21--Legalization of recreational cannabis may be associated with an increase in fatal motor vehicle collisions based on data from the United States, and authors discuss the implications for Canada in an analysis in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal). Read Marijuana & Commerce
National Hispanic cannabis council releases report on ‘State of the Hispanic Cannabis Industry in the U.S.’
10/14/21--The National Hispanic Cannabis Council unveiled Thursday a first-ever report on Hispanics in the Cannabis Industry report detailing the “State of the Hispanic Cannabis Industry in the U.S.” The inaugural report, authored by Nucleus One, a leading cannabis industry and business management consulting firm, delivers an informative overview of Hispanic engagement in the industry and the challenges and opportunities currently facing Hispanic businesses and individuals. Read Why corporate social responsibility is BS
9/26/21--According to Robert Reich, author and former US secretary of labor who is also professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, big corporations would violate laws on worker safety, wages and hours and pensions, whenever doing so was cheaper than obeying the laws. And they’d fight like hell against such laws to begin with – all the while telling the public what wonderful citizens they were. Read Legal woes of CEO’s spouse bring marijuana MSO Trulieve unwanted attention
9/9/21--The recent criminal conviction of the husband of Trulieve Cannabis CEO Kim Rivers has cast an unflattering spotlight on the multistate marijuana operator, focusing attention on how the profitable company secured its Florida business license and renewing questions about its dealings with a construction firm partly owned by Rivers’ spouse. Read Phillip Morris International vets launch new agency for regulated industries
8/31/21--Jaime Suarez and Albert Moufarrij, , who both worked client side with tobacco company Philip Morris International, announced the launch of MACH9, which specializes in helping brands meet regulatory requirements while engaging with audiences online in a socially responsible way. Read No hangovers of beer bellies: Cannabis firms try to woo booze drinkers
8/3/21--Some of the largest cannabis companies in North America see a multibillion-dollar marijuana beverage industry waiting to be tapped as states increasingly embrace legal weed, but it’s struggling to boost a potentially lucrative market that centers on persuading Americans to drink their weed. Read Marijuana & Culture
One in five 13-14-year-olds has seen drugs being sold on social media
11/3/21--One in five 13-14-year-olds in England have seen drugs sold on social media, a new survey has shown. The survey findings, shown exclusively to The Independent, show school children as young as 13-years-old are seeing drugs - including class A substances cocaine and MDMA - being sold on social media platforms. Read One in five 13-14-year-olds have seen drugs sold on social media
11/2/21--One in five 13-14-year-olds in England have seen drugs sold on social media, a new survey has shown. The survey findings, shown exclusively to The Independent, show school children as young as 13-years-old are seeing drugs - including class A substances cocaine and MDMA - being sold on social media platforms. Read From Neil Young to John Lennon: 7 classic songs written about the crippling effects of drug addiction
10/23/21--According to an article written by Mick McStarkey and published in Far Out magazine, addiction has given rise to some of the most iconic songs ever written. A deeply personal and often very bleak subject, music has proven itself time and time again to be the greatest healer. McStarkey further expresses in his article that as the journey from addiction to recovery is often a very tortuous and never-ending time for the beholder, in many ways, lyrics and music have acted as another mode of therapy, helping those affected on their way to the light. Read Can the latest Olympic controversy change cannabis policy?
7/13/21--In an op-ed penned by Jordan Tishler, MD, cannabis specialist and President of the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists, he expresses his unique perspective on the science and the politics of cannabis and believes that this Olympic controversy pertaining to Sha'Carri Richardson's suspension is entirely a political problem. Tishler also firmly believes it is unfortunate that Richardson has become the victim of decades of racist policy and states it's time for these policies to be changed. Read Sha’Carri Richardson suspension underscore frustration with Biden’s marijuana policy
7/8/21--Advocates for marijuana legalization are expressing disappointment and frustration with the Biden administration’s response to Sha’Carri Richardson’s disqualification from the Tokyo Olympic Games, which they say highlights the White House’s refusal to move forward on cannabis policy. Read Marijuana & Enforcement
Murders spiked in 2020 in cities across the United States
9/27/21--The year-to-year increase in homicides from 2019 was the largest since national record-keeping began in 1960. But overall, major crimes declined last year. Overall, the toll of some 21,500 people killed last year is still well below the record set during the violence of the early 1990s. Still, several cities, like Albuquerque, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Memphis, Milwaukee and Syracuse, recorded their highest homicide numbers ever, according to the report. Read Frontline advocates view $26 bln opioid deal with frustration, worry
7/27/21--Four major U.S. drug companies Johnson & Johnson, AmerisourceBergen Corp, Cardinal Health Inc (CAH.N) and McKesson Corp) agreed to a $26 billion settlement last week to end lawsuits over the opioid crisis, but treatment advocates expressed frustration that the money will be slow to arrive and worry it could be misspent. The distributors will make payments over 18 years and Johnson & Johnson over nine years. Read Federal officer charged in Jan. 6 Capitol riot
7/20/21--Mark Sami Ibrahim, a federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, is the first federal law enforcement officer charged in connection to the insurrection. He was arrested Tuesday for illegally entering Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, according to court filings. Read States and cities near tentative $26 billion deal in opioid cases
7/20/21--The three largest pharmaceutical distributors and Johnson & Johnson are on the verge of a $26 billion deal with states and municipalities that would settle thousands of lawsuits over their role in the opioid epidemic and pay for addiction and prevention services nationwide. Read Opening access to psilocybin therapy for seriously ill patients: The petitioners’ opening brief in AIMS et al v DEA
5/19/21--Emerge Law Group represents a Seattle palliative care physician and co-director of an integrative oncology clinic, and a number of his patients with advanced cancer in a case seeking to open access to psilocybin therapy for patients with serious illness under state and federal Right to Try laws. Today they filed their brief, Petitioners Opening Brief, in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Read