After marijuana is legalized in a state, fewer people seek chronic pain diagnoses and treatment, but more wind up in hospitals being treated for car crash injuries, overdoses or alcohol poisoning, according to a new study.
Marijuana is now legal in the majority of US states and many see it as a win, offering better access to non-prescription treatment for pain and nausea.
But states are just beginning to see the broader implications of legal weed.
Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco found that after Colorado legalized marijuana, hospital admissions for chronic pain fell by five percent.
Ten percent more Coloradans, however, were seen in hospitals for car crash injuries, and five percent more were treated for problems related to drugs or alcohol.
Legal weed is good for chronic pain rates, but bad for high driving, overdose and alcohol related injuries, new research suggests
Marijuana itself is generally safe to use and has minimal side effects.
The only possible overdose death linked to it was that of an infant.
Smoking or ingesting marijuana can lead to heart rate increases, a 'high' feeling and slower reaction times.
Its interactions with the brain's endocannibinoid system can create a feeling of calm and relaxation and alleviate pain.
These effects are all well and good and safe on their own and in the safety of your home.
But because it was only so recently legal anywhere in the US, marijuana's broader public health consequences couldn't be thoroughly studied until recently.
To inform future policy and precautions, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) researchers looked to Colorado as a
