Medical marijuana laws linked to higher overall usage

[DreamSmoker]

Medical marijuana laws have been passed in 16 states, usually following vigorous debate about whether the benefits of medical marijuana for treating illness outweigh the risks of making the drug much easier for anyone to obtain.

Two new studies shed some light on that question. A study in the September issue of Annals of Epidemiology found that, among youths age 12 to 17, marijuana usage rates were higher in states with medical marijuana laws (8.6%) compared with those without such laws (6.9%).

The reasons behind greater drug use in states with medical marijuana laws is not made clear by these studies. It could be that states that pass legalization laws embrace cultural values that also make marijuana use more acceptable, overall, and less stigmatized.

http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-medical-marijuana-20110901,0,7896642.story

I believe there are more factors than this article posts..
One biggy is the truth is out and the Old negative propaganda has proved false..
The benefits from Cannabis are also playing a role...
Not one negative false claim about Cannabis has proved to be fact..
The facts and truth is all over the internet for those who want it...

[H2O Man]

1. "an ounce of prevention...."

[Warren DeMontague]

2. Maybe fewer people are lying?

It needs to be fucking legal. Period.

[tridim]

8. Yep, and people are using it more because it is beneficial for good health.

Same thing would happen if broccoli had been previously illegal.

[unionworks]

3. you say that

...like it's a bad thing

[otohara]

4. And Violent Crime Rate is Down

coincidence?

[Warpy]

5. Higher usage and lower crime, such a deal.

Cue the pearl clutchers screaming about the baybees.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. well, duh, if you prescribe it as medicine,

that will increase the number of users. I suspect there are some who use it medicinally for pain control, even though it is illegal to do so. But I also suspect that many more do NOT use it because it is illegal.

[ZombieHorde]

7. Let me see if I got this straight.

A state legalizes a medicine, doctors prescribe that medicine, stores sell that medicine, and then we are surprised people use that medicine?

[Tsiyu]

9. Three physicians at a large, well-known teaching hospital

recently told my friend to continue using cannabis. Two said "no smoking it" but all three believe it helps alleviate my friend's symptoms.

I trust the medical community.

If they say it works, then of course people will trade in their suicide-inducing pharmaceuticals for an herb.

This is good news. (Also, for pain meds, the fewer people addicted to Hydros and Oxy the better.)