Citation

Mitra S, Virani S. Psychiatr. Serv. 2019; 70(7): 625-628.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, BronxCare Hospital, New York (Mitra); Department of Psychiatry, Maimonides Medical Center, New York (Virani). Marvin S. Swartz, M.D., is editor of this column.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Psychiatric Association)

DOI

10.1176/appi.ps.201900030

PMID

31056005

Abstract

In 2018, Governor Cuomo tasked the Department of Health (DOH) with studying the anticipated impact of legalizing recreational marijuana use in New York State. DOH concluded that the positive effects of a regulated marijuana market outweighed the potential negative impact but that implementation required close monitoring of usage, education of specific populations, and regular and rigorous evaluation. In states where cannabis is legal, studies have shown associated decreases in crime rates and increases in financial resources. Conversely, accidental ingestion in children and accidents following ingestion had increased. The road ahead is fraught with challenges, especially because of the nonuniformity in federal and state laws.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol & drug abuse; Public policy issues