Suicide Attempts by Young Men Have Increased since Pot Has Been Legalized According to a new report, countries that allow marijuana widely accessible for purchase can see a rise in the personality of young men. Researchers discovered a connection between changing marijuana laws and personality rates between men under the age of 40 in the United States.
Is Legalization Of The Pot is Increasing The Suicide Rates In young Men?
In states that legalized, and in certain situations “commercialized,” medicinal marijuana suicide attempts and non-suicidal behaviors such as slicing improved. Senior study fellow investigator Keith Humphreys, a director of psychiatry and behavioral studies at Stanford University, cautioned that the results do not establish a reasonable relationship.
Other general patterns may have influenced self-harm levels in those countries, he speculated. Humphreys, on the other hand, believes the results must be taken into account in the controversy over public marijuana laws. Currently, several countries in the United States sanction marijuana use for medicinal purposes, while 15 nations and Washington, D.C. have approved it for personal use.
These more recent policy changes have sparked debate, with some studies claiming that they have expanded marijuana usage by younger people and even teens. Humphreys and his team examined whether state levels of self-harm accidents increased after the marijuana policy passed. Previous research has related marijuana usage to an elevated threat of self, such as skin burning or slashing, as far as suicide tries or efforts.
As per the National Alliance on individuals who deliberately harm themselves are at a higher risk of becoming depressed and should seek help. “On [marijuana] law and personality, there were two conflicting views,” Humphreys explained. All in, they discovered no significant rise in self-harm accidents in places that legalized marijuana except those that permitted pharmacies to sell the product to people aged 21 and over.
Men under the age of 40, on the other hand, showed a connection. Self-harm rates increased by 46% between men aged 21 to 39 in places that permitted recreational marijuana sales. Personality incidents rose 70 percent among men older than 21 in places that legalized marijuana but did not have pharmacies. Humphreys explained, “Young people are the community where you can begin to see an impact.
“This is, how as Humphreys pointed out, they were the largest users of “stimulants,” such as alcohol and marijuana. They often have greater levels of psychiatric and behavioral problems that increase the threat of self-harm. Marijuana usage, according to Aussem, can exacerbate certain effects, such as anxiety and self-harming behaviors, and he said: “Further study into the relation among marijuana and self-harm, as well as other possible health consequences must be conducted, and the results should be used to inform local ordinances.”
The new results are focused on over 75 million American citizens’ medical care claims from 2003 to 2017. And during the time of the report, 29 states legalized medicinal marijuana, and 11 states legalized recreational marijuana. Per year, 80 self-harm injuries occurred per 100,000 people in the USA.
The report’s goal, according to Humphreys, was never to argue for or toward the legalization of marijuana. However, as with tobacco and alcohol initiatives aimed at limiting “increased commercial viability,” Humphreys believes that stronger regulation might be required.