CANNABIS LEGALIZATION IN STATE LEGISLATURES: PUBLIC HEALTH OPPORTUNITY AND RISK.

ABSTRACT: Cannabis is widely used in the U.S. and internationally despite its illicit status, but that illicit status is changing. In the U.S., 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis, and 11 states and D.C. have legalized adult use cannabis. A majority of state medical cannabis laws and all but two state adult use laws are the result of citizen ballot initiatives, but state legislatures are beginning to seriously consider adult use legislation. From a public health perspective, cannabis legalization presents a mix of potential risks and benefits, but a legislative approach offers an opportunity to improve on existing legalization models passed using the initiative process that strongly favor business interests over public health. To assess whether state legislatures a

SUBMITTER: Orenstein DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8351589 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature