The sale of marijuana is illegal under federal law.  However, several states have legalized the growing, sale and use of marijuana over the past dozen years.  Other states, like Tennessee, have seen the legalization of products containing THC.  In Tennessee, these products are widely marketed with claims that they are a virtual panacea for what ails one.  There is virtually no public monitoring of these products in Tennessee although regulations are under review now.  As the regulatory battle plays out in Tennessee, it is wise for those who may impact public policy to consider some of the societal effects that marijuana legalization has had on those states which have legalized it for recreational use.

The research group, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) has issued an Impact Report for 2023-2024 entitled “Lessons Learned from State Marijuana Legalization” which highlights the effects of marijuana legalization on diverse segments of society including minors, low-income populations, the homeless and key issues like crime, tax revenue and impaired driving.

Key takeaways from the Impact Report include:

•      30% of marijuana users suffer from marijuana use disorder
•      Legalization is associated with a 25% increase in marijuana use disorder in minors
•      ER visits related to marijuana abuse in California is up 89% post legalization
•      Marijuana related hospital admissions in Colorado up 148% since legalization
•      Hospital admissions in Arizona caused by marijuana up 267% since legalization
•      Calls to poison control centers due to marijuana up in Washington 214%
•      Nationwide legalization would result in 6800 more fatalities caused by impaired drivers
•      Tax receipts from marijuana was 0.09% of the Colorado budget for FY 2021-2022
•      States are struggling to monitor the products and businesses
•      Alcohol use has not decreased as marijuana use has increased
•      Legalization has resulted in an increase in the co-use of alcohol and marijuana.

As relates to impaired driving, some states have acted to legalize marijuana in disregard of the science or real-world testing.  Preferably, science should chart the course for public policy.  The science and experience tells us that marijuana use reduces driver reaction time, slows coordination, deteriorates the judgment of time and distance and results in more aggressive driving behavior.

Data from the National Survey On Drug Use and Health, published in May of this year in the journal Addiction, indicates that for the first time in history, the number of Americans who daily or almost daily use marijuana exceeds the number of persons using alcohol daily or almost daily.  This shift has been forty years in coming and has been facilitated by legalization which has brought marijuana use into the mainstream.

Drunken driving deaths are up nationally, in part, because arrests for drunk driving are down.  Enforcement matters.

All judges should read the well-researched and sourced full Impact Report which can be found at www//learnaboutsam.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023-report.pdf.