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Abstract
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The US legal cannabis market is growing rapidly, and California is leading the way. It has the largest legal cannabis market in the world, and the industry is expected to continue expanding. For better or for worse, many states have adopted practices similar to those in California; across the US, California has become a bellwether. Because of its geographic, economic, and cultural diversity, California is a laboratory for the vast natural experiment studying how state and local policies are associated with cannabis use and related harms and is able to generate valuable lessons for decision makers in other jurisdictions.
On the positive side, arrests for cannabis possession offenses, a conveyor belt to widespread incarceration, have continued to decline.1 A system for legal access has been created, which has also created enormous tax revenue and new jobs for Californians.1,2 Unfortunately, however, California has failed to take seriously the public health concerns about cannabis, particularly as they pertain to vulnerable populations. Emblematic of the misalignment of state priorities with public health objectives, the California State Fair will hold its first-ever cannabis competition in July 2022. Prizes will be awarded for the cannabis flower with the highest concentration of the cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol. Cannabis products with high concentrations of THC, cannabis's main psychoactive ingredient, are associated with psychosis and psychotic symptoms, dependency, and other health problems.3 The prize for highest THC content epitomizes the lack of governmental recognition that this cannabis characteristic drives cannabis use disorder and its negative health consequences.
...Cannabis exposures reported to the California Poison Control System tripled between 2010 and 2020, particularly among children who ingested candies and gummies.5 And though research has so far suggested little effect of legalization on adolescent prevalence rates, studies have also shown growing persistence of youth use and progression to higher-potency products ...
Language: en |