A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Psychiatry disputes another study, published last October in the same journal, that adult use of marijuana in the United States has doubled. The new research found that marijuana use increased by about 20% between 2002 and 2013, rising from 10.5% to 12.5%.

The October study reported that marijuana use among adults rose from 4.1% of the population in 2001-2002 to 9.5% in 2012-2013

The new study suggests that the totals in the earlier study are inaccurate due to an underestimate of the number of American adults using marijuana in 2002. The October report was based on data gathered in two face-to-face interviews 10 years apart. The new study’s co-author, Richard A. Grucza, said:

Data from face-to-face surveys previously have been demonstrated to be more sensitive to social attitudes than data collected anonymously. People may say one thing to an interviewer but something else on an anonymous computer survey, particularly when the questions deal with an illegal substance.

Instead of using face-to-face interviews, Grucza and his co-authors used data culled from a computerized questionnaire, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the years 2002 to 2013.

In a comment published in Medical News Today, Grucza said:

We’re certainly seeing some increases in marijuana use. But our survey didn’t notice any increase in marijuana-related problems. Certainly, some people are having problems so we should remain vigilant, but the sky is not falling.

Here are excerpts from other recent cannabis-related news stories.

Former Surgeon General Calls for Marijuana Acceptance

Joycelyn Elders was never shy about speaking her mind as she consistently stirred public controversy while serving as surgeon general during her spirited – and short-lived – tenure with President Bill Clinton.

Now 82, Elders demurred just a bit when she was introduced Friday night at a reception at the International Cannabis Business Conference, a teeming marijuana politics and industry conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco.

“Everybody in this room knows more about cannabis than I do,” Elders began. “Twenty years ago, no one would even say the word ‘marijuana.'”

Except perhaps for Joycelyn Elders. She built a reputation as a maverick on marijuana and other public health issues as she irked the Clinton Administration in publicly discussing legalizing drugs, and amid the depths of the AIDS crisis, considering marijuana as an effective medicinal relief.

Read more at The Sacramento Bee.
Why Elizabeth Warren Thinks Legalizing Marijuana Could Help End America’s Opioid Addiction Crisis

Sen. Elizabeth Warren wants the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to explore the use of medical marijuana as an alternative to the powerful opioid painkillers that kill thousands of people each year.

In a letter to CDC chief Tom Friedan, the Massachusetts Democrat also asks the agency to look into “the impact of the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana on opioid overdose deaths.”

From a public health standpoint, Warren is right. There is a lot of potential here.

Read more at The Washington Post. The full text of Senator Warren’s letter is available here.

Must Employers Accommodate Employee Medical Marijuana Use?

I’ve blogged before about how grilling a medical marijuana user about her disability, just before firing the employee, could give rise to a viable disability-discrimination claim.

In other words, where the disability (as opposed to the medical marijuana use) motivates the employment action, that’s discrimination.

I’ve also blogged before that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not protect illegal drug use by employees. So, if the illegal drug use, and not the disability, motivates a company to fire an employee, that’s perfectly legal.

Last week, a New Mexico federal court (in Garcia v. Tractor Supply Company) concluded that the same logic applies to disability discrimination claims brought under New Mexico state law.

Read more at Cannabis Business Executive.

U.S. Senate Propose the SUCCES Act Allowing Students with Drug Charges to Still Receive Federal Student Aid

When it comes to a college education, we all know things can get pricey very quickly, making financial aid the only option for most students. Believe it or not, 75-80% of all students are receiving financial aid in some form or another in order to pay for their tuition – without it, that degree would remain only a distant dream.

If you’re not familiar with how the financial aid process works in colleges and universities then here’s the first thing to know – federal student aid is your best option for funding. It is the easiest to obtain (especially if you have bad/no credit for obtaining a private loan) and the interest rates are relatively low in comparison as well.

Unfortunately however, for some, checking a single box could be the difference between a college education and a day-dream about a college education. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) has a checkbox with a question pertaining to drug convictions – and checking that box pretty much kills your chances at receiving federal aid.

For students who were already receiving financial aid it could mean a suspension of their aid for a minimum of a year and at most indefinitely. There are appeals processes, but often these are lengthy processes that not many have the patience to deal with.

A new bill introduced which would remove that question from the FAFSA entirely. The bill is called Stopping Unfair Collateral Consequences from Ending Student Success or the SUCCESS Act. If passed, this would be a major milestone for marijuana reform policies – and an action that was practically 20 years in the making.

Read more at Marijuana Times.

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