Adult-use marijuana legalization markets correlate with substantial declines in non-prescription opioid use among individuals who inject drugs (PWID), according to research published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Investigators from Boston University’s School of Public Health and Emory University evaluated data across thirteen states that had enacted such legalization measures.
Researchers identified what they termed "striking" decreases in the prevalence of daily opioid use following the implementation of legal cannabis frameworks. The magnitude of this observed reduction was consistent across different racial and ethnic demographics, as well as between male and female participants, the report noted.
Authors of the study concluded that reducing legal and criminal barriers associated with cannabis, via both medical and recreational legalization, holds potential for lessening overdoses and other adverse outcomes linked to opioid use among PWID. This finding provides economic and public health justification for ongoing regulatory reform efforts.
Previous epidemiological research has indicated that cannabis consumption can aid opioid-dependent subjects by potentially reducing withdrawal symptoms and mitigating drug cravings. This suggests a direct pharmacological interaction that supports the observed population-level trends.
Further supporting this connection, data from Canada reportedly showed that opioid users who regularly consumed cannabis were more likely to cease injecting opioids altogether. This reinforces the hypothesis that access to cannabis acts as a substitution or harm reduction tool in vulnerable populations.
The full study, titled “Cannabis legalization and cannabis and opioid use in a large, multistate sample of people who inject drugs: A staggered adoption difference-in-differences analysis,” offers robust statistical evidence for policymakers considering drug policy adjustments.
Global health officials and economic analysts monitor such findings, as opioid dependency imposes significant fiscal burdens on healthcare systems and labor markets worldwide. The association suggests a potential avenue for reducing these externalities through regulatory adjustments.
