Article
Substance Abuse
Marco H. Benedetti, Li Li, Lucas M. Neuroth, Kayleigh D. Humphries, Ashley Brooks-Russell, Motao Zhu
Summary: The study found a possible association between the legalization of medical marijuana and self-reported driving after marijuana use, but the impact of legalizing both recreational and medical marijuana on driving behavior is uncertain. Laws establishing thresholds for marijuana-intoxicated driving were associated with a lower likelihood of self-reported driving after marijuana use.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Rebekah Levine Coley, Claudia Kruzik, Marco Ghiani, Naoka Carey, Summer Sherburne Hawkins, Christopher F. Baum
Summary: The study found that recreational marijuana legalization has minimal impact on adolescent substance use, leading to a decrease in marijuana use and an increase in e-cigarette use. The results suggest that these changes are consistent across different age and gender groups of adolescents.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Vandana Macha, Rahi Abouk, Coleman Drake
Summary: The implementation of recreational cannabis laws in the US may be associated with increased alcohol consumption, particularly among younger adults and men.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Hai Nguyen, Shweta Mital, Stephen Bornstein
Summary: This study examines the impacts of cannabis legalization on youth cannabis use in Canada. Findings show that the initiation rate among youths increased by 2.7 percentage points after legalization, but there was no significant increase in overall cannabis use prevalence. The average age of first cannabis use was also delayed by 4 months. The legalization led to heightened perception of cannabis harm and easier access to cannabis among youth.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Economics
Gulcan Cil, Ken C. Winters, Sean C. Austin, Angus Kittelman, Keith Smolkowski, Erika Westling, John R. Seeley
Summary: The legalization of recreational marijuana in some U.S. states has led to an increase in adolescent use. In Oregon, middle schools experienced a rise in substance use offenses after legalization, especially when marijuana outlets were present nearby. High school offenses, however, did not show significant changes. Adolescents who use marijuana are more likely to face academic, mental health, and driving-related problems. Policymakers and public health officials should consider these potential adverse impacts on adolescents and the importance of investing in school-based prevention programs when evaluating marijuana legalization.
Article
Ergonomics
James C. Fell, Traci Toomey, Angela H. Eichelberger, Julie Kubelka, Daniel Schriemer, Darin Erickson
Summary: This study found that underage patrons were not able to access marijuana at licensed recreational outlets in California.
JOURNAL OF SAFETY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Prachi Arora, Andrew Johnson, Rasitha Jayasekare, Karishma Desai
Summary: The study found that compared to non-users of nonmedical prescription opioids, individuals using marijuana had higher marijuana use days and lower odds of having zero days of marijuana use. With little evidence supporting marijuana for pain management, the United States needs to proceed with caution as more states consider legalizing it.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander Carl Gabri, Maria Rosaria Galanti, Nicola Orsini, Cecilia Magnusson
Summary: Our study suggests that cannabis legislation has no significant impact on the prevalence of recreational cannabis use among youth and young adults in Europe.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sarah C. M. Roberts, Claudia Zaugg, M. Antonia Biggs
Summary: A cross-sectional study found that warning signs policies mandating point-of-sale warnings about the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy did not reduce cannabis use during pregnancy. However, these policies were associated with increased support for punishment and stigma among those who did not use cannabis.
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Brenda Victor, Kathy Hager, Shannon Stacy
Summary: This paper discusses the history, benefits, and risks of cannabis, as well as the background of the federal re-legalization of cannabis for medical use in the USA. Research data show that medical marijuana may help decrease the use of opioids and benzodiazepines, as well as reduce related overdose deaths.
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Gwen T. Lapham, Theresa E. Matson, Jennifer F. Bobb, Casey Luce, Malia M. Oliver, Leah K. Hamilton, Katharine A. Bradley
Summary: The prevalence and severity of cannabis use disorders (CUD) among primary care patients in a state with legal recreational use were examined. The study found that CUD was common among cannabis users, with higher rates observed among those who reported nonmedical use. These findings highlight the importance of assessing cannabis use and CUD symptoms in medical settings.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kara R. Skelton, Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon
Summary: The prevalence of prenatal cannabis use was slightly higher in states with legalized recreational cannabis compared to those without, but maternal factors associated with use were consistent across both types of states. Women in states with recreational cannabis legalization were more likely to report concurrent cannabis and tobacco use during pregnancy. Recommendations include focused cannabis prevention efforts for nonpregnant women of reproductive age and intervention programs for pregnant women in states with recreational cannabis legalization.
JOURNAL OF WOMENS HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Emma E. McGinty, Kayla N. Tormohlen, Nicholas J. Seewald, Mark C. Bicket, Alexander D. McCourt, Lainie Rutkow, Sarah A. White, Elizabeth A. Stuart
Summary: This study found that state medical cannabis laws did not have significant effects on the receipt of opioid or nonopioid pain treatment among patients with chronic noncancer pain.
ANNALS OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jason R. Kilmer, Isaac C. Rhew, Katarina Guttmannova, Charles B. Fleming, Brittney A. Hultgren, Michael S. Gilson, Rachel L. Cooper, Julia Dilley, Mary E. Larimer
Summary: Prevalence of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder symptomatology among young adults in Washington State has increased since legalization, especially among those of legal age. This trend requires ongoing monitoring.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Mallie J. Paschall, Grisel Garcia-Ramirez, Joel W. Grube
Summary: The study suggests that recreational marijuana legalization may increase the risk of alcohol and marijuana co-use among adolescents, particularly among those with a history of past 30-day alcohol use. Additionally, there was a decrease in co-use among adolescents with a history of past 30-day marijuana use after recreational marijuana legalization.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Letter
Substance Abuse
Ariadne Rivera-Aguirre, Alvaro Castillo-Carniglia, Hannah S. Laqueur, Kara E. Rudolph, Silva S. Martins, Jessica Ramirez, Rosario Queirolo, Magdalena Cerda
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Berenice Castillo, John Schulenberg, Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, Paul A. A. Toro
Summary: This study examines the prevalence and correlates of running away from home among US youth. The results show that the annual prevalence of running away has been decreasing, but still affects a large number of teens. Factors associated with running away include parent and peer relationships, school factors, self-esteem, and substance use. This phenomenon has negative impacts on the social, behavioral, and health domains of adolescents.
JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Katie E. Cherry, Luke R. Miller, Piper J. Bordes, Matthew R. Calamia, Emily M. Elliott, Laura Sampson, Sandro Galea
Summary: This study longitudinally assessed the mental health of three groups of middle-aged and older adults who had experienced severe flooding. The results showed that flooded individuals had elevated depression and PTSD symptoms at Wave 1, but these symptoms reduced at Wave 2. Older age was associated with fewer mental health symptoms. Recovery stressors and lifetime trauma predicted more PTSD symptoms. Greater agency predicted fewer PTSD and depression symptoms, while pathways predicted less worry.
AGING & MENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jennifer Lacy-Nichols, Sulakshana Nandi, Melissa Mialon, Jim McCambridge, Kelley Lee, Alexandra Jones, Anna B. Gilmore, Sandro Galea, Cassandra de Lacy-Vawdon, Camila Maranha Paes de Carvalho, Fran Baum, Rob Moodie
Summary: Most public health research on the commercial determinants of health to date has focused on a narrow segment of commercial actors, primarily the transnational corporations producing tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods. However, there is a lack of clear frameworks for differentiating among commercial entities, hindering the governance of commercial interests in public health. This paper aims to develop a framework that enables meaningful distinctions among diverse commercial entities, allowing for a fuller consideration of their impact on health outcomes.
Article
Psychiatry
Jing Wang, Robert J. Ursano, Hieu Dinh, Jeffrey L. Thomas, Gregory H. Cohen, Laura A. Sampson, Sandro Galea, Carol S. Fullerton
Summary: This study aimed to examine the associations between five types of adversity and separation from military service among US National Guard and Reserve (NGR) service members. The results showed that those who left the military were more likely to report financial and healthcare access problems. Female service members who left the military were more likely to experience interpersonal adversity, while Army and Marine service members were more likely to experience job/employment and financial adversity.
PSYCHIATRY-INTERPERSONAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Talia Schulder, Sasha Rudenstine, Catherine K. Ettman, Sandro Galea
Summary: This study explored the relationship between demographics, chronic illness, and probable psychiatric diagnoses and long-COVID-19 symptoms in an urban adult sample. The findings indicate that Latinx participants, individuals with prior chronic illness, and those with probable psychiatric diagnoses are at higher risk of experiencing long-COVID-19.
PSYCHOLOGY HEALTH & MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
Catherine K. Ettman, Alice Y. Fan, Alexander P. Philips, Gaelen P. Adam, Grace Ringlein, Melissa A. Clark, Ira B. Wilson, Patrick M. Vivier, Sandro Galea
Summary: Although the association between assets and depression is known, there is limited understanding of the link between financial strain and depression. During the COVID-19 pandemic, with increasing financial strain and economic inequity, it is crucial to examine the role of financial strain in shaping depression in the United States. A scoping review of longitudinal studies on financial strain and depression conducted in the United States found a consistent positive association between financial strain and depression. Effective interventions to reduce depressive symptoms included improving one's financial situation, modifying cognitive behavior, and engaging social and community support.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Nadia N. Abuelezam, Sarah Ketchen Lipson, Sasha Zhou, Sara Abelson, Germine H. Awad, Daniel Eisenberg, Sandro Galea
Summary: Very little is known about mental health service utilization among Arab and Middle Eastern American (AMEA) college students. AMEA students had reduced odds of reporting diagnosis of depression or anxiety, of ever attending therapy, currently attending therapy, and receiving medication for a mental health diagnosis compared to non-AMEA white students. The relationships between Arab ethnicity and mental health service utilization were modified by religiosity, knowledge, beliefs, and personal stigma about treatment. Better documentation on mental health service utilization in AMEA populations is needed in order to improve prevention efforts and service delivery.
JOURNAL OF COLLEGE STUDENT PSYCHOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Greta A. Bushnell, Moira A. Rynn, Tobias Gerhard, Katherine M. Keyes, Deborah S. Hasin, Magdalena Cerda, Abner Nyandege, Mark Olfson
Summary: Among young adults in the United States, initiating benzodiazepine treatment for anxiety and depression, alone or simultaneously with selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), appears to have an increased risk of medically treated drug overdose compared with SSRI treatment alone. These associations were observed in publicly and privately insured individuals.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
David Kline, Amanda M. Bunting, Staci A. Hepler, Ariadne Rivera-Aguirre, Noa Krawczyk, Magdalena Cerda
Summary: This study examines overdose deaths involving stimulants with and without opioids in the US from 1999 to 2020. The findings show that death rates involving cocaine and opioids sharply increased around 2015, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. There were also steady increases in deaths involving psychostimulants without opioids just before 2010, particularly in states in the West and South. Deaths involving psychostimulants with opioids increased around 2015, with the largest increases concentrated in Appalachian states.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Veronica A. Pear, Garen J. Wintemute, Nicholas P. Jewell, Magdalena Cerda, Jennifer Ahern
Summary: The density of pawn firearm dealers and off-premises alcohol outlets has been found to be associated with a higher risk of firearm assault, suggesting that limiting the density of these establishments could reduce interpersonal firearm violence.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Stephen G. Henry, Shao-You Fang, Andrew J. Crawford, Garen J. Wintemute, Iraklis Erik Tseregounis, James J. Gasper, Aaron Shev, Abigail R. Cartus, Brandon D. L. Marshall, Daniel J. Tancredi, Magdalena Cerda, Susan L. Stewart
Summary: This study examined the associations between 30-day prescribed opioid dose trajectories and fatal opioid overdose risk in the subsequent 15 days. The results showed that large dose increases and doses >= 60 milligram morphine equivalents (MME) per day were associated with significantly greater overdose risk. Patients whose dose decreased from >= 90 to 0-29 MME per day had significantly greater overdose risk compared to both patients prescribed a stable daily dose of >= 90 MME and patients prescribed a stable daily dose of 0-29 MME. Patients prescribed benzodiazepines also had significantly greater overdose risk, while being prescribed Z-drugs, carisoprodol, or psychostimulants was not associated with overdose risk.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Amal Khan, Sylvia Abonyi, Cory Neudorf, Sandro Galea, Shahid Ahmed
Summary: Disparities in HPVV uptake among immigrants and refugees are primarily due to barriers such as lack of information, awareness, education, and vaccine logistics. A multi-component intervention involving educating parents, vaccinating children, and training staff in school-based programs is crucial for improving HPV immunization rates in these subgroups.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Catherine K. Ettman, Sandro Galea
Summary: The integration of AI into everyday life has raised concerns about its impact on mental health. To understand this impact, three considerations are proposed: advancement of mental health care, alteration of social and economic contexts, and policy shaping the adoption and use of AI-enhanced tools.
JMIR MENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Elle Wadsworth, Pete Driezen, Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, Beau Kilmer, David Hammond
Summary: The price of cannabis is significantly influenced by its legal status and the presence of retail stores. After the legalization of recreational cannabis, it takes multiple years for the legal market to establish, with an increase in the number of retail stores and a decrease in prices. Consumers tend to use legally accessible sources for their purchases, suggesting the potential for expanding legal sources through the addition of physical retail stores and online delivery services in states with recreational cannabis laws.
CANNABIS AND CANNABINOID RESEARCH
(2023)