Editorial: Marijuana Legalization and Suicide in Adolescents and Transitional-Age Youth: Important Future Directions for This Line of Research.

ABSTRACT

Marijuana legalization (ML) processes for medical and recreational use in the United States have been prompted by the potential for positive downstream legal effects of decriminalization, including fewer cannabis-related arrests and prosecutions, which have historically disproportionately impacted minoritized communities. However, ML evolved through primarily political processes, with minimal scientific guidance to inform policies. Commercialization has increased youth cannabis access, diversion of parental cannabis, and proliferation of high-potency products, which, along with early use, are associated with poor mental health outcomes.1 Taken together, these findings raise concerns about the impact of medical (MML) and recreational marijuana legalization (RML) on youth mental health.