Americans Consuming 20% More Weed Since Recreational Cannabis Legalised, New Study Suggests

Before 2014, cannabis could not be legally bought or sold for recreational purposes anywhere in the US. By early 2022, over 141 million Americans lived in a state with recreationally legal cannabis.

According to a recent study that was published in the scientific academic journal Addiction, the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use in some states of America has resulted in an increase in cannabis use frequency of 20% on average.

A sizable sample of adult identical twins was used in the study to assess the consequences of legalising cannabis for recreational use. The 111 identical twin couples where one twin resided in a state with a different recreational cannabis regulation than the other.

Compared to the research of unrelated individuals, twin studies offer highly well-matched controls for one another and enable a more accurate evaluation of the causal impact of recreational legalisation.

The study discovered a 24% increase in mean cannabis usage frequency related to legalisation when looking at all of the study participants (1,425 people living in states where recreational cannabis use is permitted versus 1,997 people living in states where it is outlawed).

Just looking at identical twins who were in states with different laws, the twin who resided in a "legal" state smoked cannabis about 20% more frequently than their cotwin who resided in an "illegal" state. These results imply that the legalisation of cannabis for recreational purposes increased cannabis use.

What Is The Purpose Behind Legalising Recreational Use Of Cannabis? 

Even though cannabis is banned at the federal level, 19 states and Washington DC have legalised the sale of recreational cannabis, making it legal for 141 million Americans who live in those states. Other states, such as Oklahoma, are considering measures to legalise it.

A total of 37 states have legalized the sale of cannabis for medical use, and while evidence suggests the non-psychoactive compound CBD could be useful to treat chronic pain, sleep loss, eating disorders, and Parkinson’s disease, there’s still a lot unknown about the benefits of CBD or the psychoactive compound THC. 

141 million Americans reside in jurisdictions where the sale of recreational cannabis is allowed as 19 states and Washington D.C. have legalised, despite the fact that marijuana is illegal at the federal.

A total of 37 states have legalised the sale of cannabis for medical purposes. Although evidence suggests the non-psychoactive compound CBD may be helpful in treating chronic pain, sleep disorders, eating disorders, and Parkinson's disease, there is still much to learn about the advantages of CBD or the psychoactive compound THC.