Canna~Fangled Abstracts

Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Opioid-Related Deaths in Colorado, 2000-2015.

By October 12, 2017No Comments
Am J Public Health. 2017 Nov;107(11):1827-1829. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304059.

Abstract

PM 2 site 207OBJECTIVES:

To examine the association between Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis use and opioid-related deaths.

METHODS:

We used an interrupted time-series design (2000-2015) to compare changes in level and slope of monthly opioid-related deaths before and after Colorado stores began selling recreational cannabis. We also describe the percent change in opioid-related deaths by comparing the unadjusted model-smoothed number of deaths at the end of follow-up with the number of deaths just prior to legalization.

RESULTS:

Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis sales and use resulted in a 0.7 deaths per month (b = -0.68; 95% confidence interval = -1.34, -0.03) reduction in opioid-related deaths. This reduction represents a reversal of the upward trend in opioid-related deaths in Colorado.

CONCLUSIONS:

Legalization of cannabis in Colorado was associated with short-term reductions in opioid-related deaths. As additional data become available, research should replicate these analyses in other states with legal recreational cannabis.

PMID: 29019782

 

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304059
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