Does Medical Marihuana Reduce Suicides?

+washtenaut · February 6, 2012

Does Medical Marijuana Reduce Suicides?

By Christopher Shea

From the people who brought you the study that found that legalizing medical marijuana was associated with fewer deaths on the highways — possibly because people substitute marijuana for drinking — comes new contentious research involving pot. Its title is “High on Life? Medical Marijuana Laws and Suicide,” and this is the gist:

Using state-level data for the period 1990 through 2007, we estimate the effect of legalizing medical marijuana on suicide rates. Our results suggest that the passage of a medical marijuana law is associated with an almost 5 percent reduction in the total suicide rate, an 11 percent reduction in the suicide rate of 20- through 29-year-old males, and a 9 percent reduction in the suicide rate of 30- through 39-year-old males. Estimates of the relationship between legalization and female suicides are less precise and are sensitive to functional form.

It’s an IZA Discussion Paper , from January.

Herb Cannabis · February 7, 2012

I can answer that! YES

SparklyBuds · February 7, 2012

Well from personal experience, it is very uplifting mentally and spiritually, for my mood. I've had depression for a long time & the prescription meds don't work as well as mmj, or more accurately, a combination of the two is working much better than prescription med alone.

Darkmatter · February 7, 2012

Well from personal experience, it is very uplifting mentally and spiritually, for my mood. I've had depression for a long time & the prescription meds don't work as well as mmj, or more accurately, a combination of the two is working much better than prescription med alone.

It has helped my depression more than any anti-depressant ever did. For reasons I will not get into in public forum, I believe that this plant has saved my life.