Washington, DC: Fewer young people are reporting that marijuana is 'easy' to obtain, according to an analysis by the US Centers for Disease Control.
Investigators from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the CDC evaluated annual data compiled by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the years 2002 to 2014. Researchers reported that the percentage of respondents aged 12 to 17 years who perceived marijuana to be "fairly easy or very easy to obtain" fell by 13 percent during this time period. Among those ages 18 to 25, marijuana's perceived availability decreased by three percent.
Researchers further reported that "since 2002, the prevalence of marijuana use and initiation among U.S. youth has declined" - a finding that is consistent with prior studies.
By contrast, authors reported an uptick in use among adults. However, they acknowledged that this increase in adult marijuana consumption has not been associated with a parallel increase in problematic use.
There have been "steady decreases in the prevalence of marijuana dependence and abuse among adult marijuana users since 2002," the study found. Those adults experiencing the greatest percentage increase in marijuana use during the study period were respondents over the age of 55.
Since 2002, 18 states have passed medical cannabis use laws, and four states have enacted laws legalizing and regulating the adult use of pot. In November, voters in five states will decide on adult use initiatives, while voters in at least four states will decide on ballot measures specific to regulating the plant's medicinal use.
A separate analysis of the data published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry similarly acknowledged no observed increase in marijuana use disorders. A previous assessment of marijuana use patterns since 2002, published earlier this year in JAMA Psychiatry, also reported a decline in the percentage of adults reporting marijuana-related problems.
Overall, the study reports that men are more than twice as likely as women to report having used marijuana in the past month, and that respondents residing in the western region of the United States are most likely to be regular consumers of the substance.
Full text of the CDC study, "National estimates of marijuana use and related indicators - National Survey on Drug Use and Health, United States, 2002-2014," appears online.
State-Sanctioned Marijuana Users Not Afforded Second Amendment Rights
San Francisco, CA: A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of a 1968 federal law prohibiting the sale of firearms to any "unlawful user" of a federally controlled substance.
The panel determined that state-registered medical marijuana patients are forbidden from purchasing firearms because cannabis remains classified as a Schedule I substance under federal law. They opined that the ban "furthers the Government's interest in preventing gun violence" because marijuana users "are more likely to be involved in violent crimes."
They concluded, "[The plaintiff in this case] does not have a constitutionally protected liberty interest in simultaneously holding a [medical cannabis] registry card and purchasing a firearm."
In 2011, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms issued a memorandum to all gun dealers in the United States specifying, "Any person who uses ... marijuana, regardless of whether his or her state has passed legislation authorizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, and is prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition."
In response to today's court ruling, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "There is no credible justification for a 'marijuana exception' to the US Constitution. Responsible adults who use cannabis in a manner that is compliant with the laws of their states ought to receive the same legal rights and protections as do other citizens. It is incumbent that members of Congress act swiftly to amend cannabis' criminal status in a way that comports with both public and scientific opinion, as well as its rapidly changing legal status under state laws."
The Ninth Circuit decision, Wilson v Lynch et al., is available online.
Marijuana Use Lower BMI
Coral Gables, FL: Cannabis use is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) over time, according to data published in The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics.
Investigators at the University of Miami assessed the relationship between marijuana use and BMI in a nationally representative longitudinal sample (The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health).
Researchers concluded, "[D]aily female marijuana users have a BMI that is approximately 3.1 percent lower than that of non-users, whereas daily male users have a BMI that is approximately 2.7 percent lower than that of non-users."
The findings are similar to those reported in prior case-control studies finding that those subjects with a history of marijuana use are less likely to be obese and to suffer from type 2 diabetes as compared to abstainers.
Full text of the study, "Estimating the relationship between marijuana use and body mass index," appears in The Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics.
