Republicans Push Back on Marijuana Legalization – The GOP’s Family Policy Agenda Blames Weed for Suicide and Violence

How can the GOP say that cannabis legalization is tied to an increase in suicide and violence when data shows the opposite is true? Cannabis helps mental health, thus decreasing suicide and violence rates where it’s legal. In a 2021 study analyzing results of a 2013 investigation which found no association between medical marijuana legalization and mental health, researchers confirmed: “We found that recreational marijuana access was associated with a 6.29 percent reduction in suicide rates for males aged 40 to 49, but no other mental health outcomes were otherwise affected by liberalization of marijuana laws,” the authors wrote.