THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

LEADS TO A DECREASE IN THE USE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS FOR ANXIETY

In states where both medical and recreational marijuana are legal, fewer patients are getting prescriptions for medications used to treat anxiety. That's the key finding of a study published in JAMA Network Open. Why is this important?

In 2021, nearly 23% of the U.S. adult population reported having a diagnosable mental health disorder. However, only 65.4% of those individuals reported receiving treatment in the past year. This lack of treatment can exacerbate existing mental health disorders, leading to an increased risk of additional chronic illnesses.

Access to marijuana introduces an alternative treatment to traditional prescription medications that can make it more accessible to some patients. Many state medical laws allow patients with mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), to use medical cannabis, while recreational laws expand access to all adults.

The findings of this study have important implications for insurance systems, prescribers, policymakers, and patients. Benzodiazepine use, like opioid use, can be dangerous for patients, especially when the two classes of medications are used together.

Given the high level of opioid poisonings that also involve benzodiazepines (in 2020, they accounted for 14 percent of all opioid overdose deaths), our findings offer insights into a possible substitution with marijuana for medications where misuse is apparent.

There is some evidence that marijuana acts as an effective treatment for anxiety. If this is the case, switching from benzodiazepines, which are associated with significant negative side effects, to marijuana may improve patient outcomes.

Replacing marijuana has the potential to cause fewer negative side effects nationwide, but it is still unclear whether marijuana will be equally effective in treating anxiety.

There is a great deal of variation in the details of state marijuana laws, and some of those details may lead to significant differences in outcomes. I believe this difference in outcomes from state to state is an important finding for policymakers who want to tailor their laws to specific goals.

Alexandra Suárez

Chief Financial Officer, BV Corp

@highmommas