Think you know Weed? You might be wrong
Cannabis is growing more popular across every generation in the U.S., reportedly surpassing daily alcohol use.
Weed's popularity has surged alongside multiple states’ legalization efforts, with almost half of Americans dubbing it the “new alcohol.”
While usage continues to increase, however, research efforts and the dissemination of public knowledge on proper dosage and side effects are lagging due to federal restrictions on cannabis.
Recent studies report that cannabis’ social acceptance and popularity has increased as its daily usage has surpassed that of alcohol — 15 times higher in 2022 than it was in 1992. Nearly three out of four Americans had at least tried marijuana as of last month, according to a nationwide survey sponsored by the Sanctuary Wellness Institute.
President Joseph R. Biden and the Drug Enforcement Administration moved to reclassify the substance as a less dangerous drug this past spring, which would move it down from its place next to narcotics like heroin and cocaine to less toxic substances such as steroids and ketamine.
Sign up for the Green State NY newsletter
Keep up with the latest as legal recreational marijuana stores and more open up in New York. Sign up here.
The plan for rescheduling is in a public comment period, and still needs approval from the Drug Enforcement Agency and a review by an administrative judge.
Its classification in the most restrictive drug category has hindered researchers’ ability to distribute drugs in clinical trials. University at Buffalo psychology professor Rebecca Ashare, who does research on how cannabis can manage pain among cancer patients and could reduce opioid use, explained how the licensing process can take months to years and involves applications for licenses from multiple government offices.
“There’s site visits involved, and you have to order the substance through the DEA — so you can only use the cannabis approved for research,” Ashare said. “Essentially, that limits our generalizability because you can’t use any of the products that people are actually using.”
According to Ashare — whose lab is not licensed to provide cannabis to study subjects — the participants in her project must acquire the weed on their own. While her team tries to keep track of what participants take and where they purchase it, she said it's essentially impossible to measure their dose, making it difficult to control the study.
Reclassifying weed as a Schedule III drug would categorize it as a medical product, but not authorize its recreational use, stopping short of fully decriminalizing the drug.
Research done prior to legalization for recreational use often focused on the negative health effects associated with cannabis use, according to Alyson Martin, the co-founder of Cannabis Wire and editor of Columbia News Service at Columbia University.
“Cannabis research is years behind where it would have been, because a lot of the earlier research on cannabis was framed around harm and prevention, and less framed around its therapeutic potential,” Martin said.
Along with research gaps, there are certain perceptions and misconceptions about weed common in the public that can lead to overuse, or cannabis use disorder, including the assumption that all weed is less dangerous than other drugs.
Edward Bednarczyk, professor of pharmacy practice at University of Buffalo, explained how the lack of understanding around dosage and potency is a potential cause of misuse. He said that the dosage of weed, like other drugs and alcohol, is proportional to its toxicity.
The potency of marijuana often becomes murky when purchased through illegal sources, including unlicensed shops or dealers.
After New York legalized recreational marijuana use in 2021, state officials have struggled to control the booming illicit sales that drew business away from licensed stores. Due to the slow rollout of licenses to sell products legally, illicit markets surged across the state, leading Gov. Kathy Hochol to call for an overhaul of the office in charge of regulation and licensing.
Since that office’s change in leadership, over 400 illicit stores have been closed, and the licensed retailers have reported a surge in sales, which translates to more tax money going to the state.
Bednarczyk said that when it comes to the state’s availability of information for dosage and side effects, New York could do better in providing more resources for people to make educated decisions about drug usage.
He also cited the example of pregnant women relying on cannabis to prevent nausea and morning sickness, which, in reality, is harmful for developing fetuses.
“The educational space is really looking for some credible information and some credible data out there,” Bednarczyk said.
Cannabis products’ popularity is not just a trend among young people: the number of users across generations remains steady, according to the survey. Millennials account for the highest percentage of regular users and Baby Boomers the lowest, with 36% and 22%, respectively, reporting that they currently smoke, consume or vape cannabis.
Some studies imply that the motives behind cannabis use, however, are not all the same between age groups. Many users from Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2013 — attribute peer pressure or boredom as the reasons for using cannabis. Some report using it to “cope” with their problems or stress.
Those who are middle-aged and older are more likely to use marijuana to alleviate symptoms and pain from chronic health conditions, including insomnia and arthritis.
Bednarcyk explained how variability between states’ legalization could skew this data, however, as respondents to surveys across states will have access to different kinds of cannabis products and varying doses, and also be subject to different perceptions of the drug.
Colorado and Washington were the first states to legalize its recreational use in 2012. Three years ago, New York became the 15th state to legalize use and possession of relatively small amounts. There are 24 states where marijuana is legal, with an almost doubled number of Americans supporting federal legalization since the 47% approval rate when the first states decriminalized it.
The intention of relieving stress apparently correlates with a higher chance of becoming addicted to cannabis, which is more probable among those who start using the drug earlier in their lives.
Gen Z is also the most likely to claim that marijuana is often too strong, according to the poll of 1,000 people over the age of 18. That relates either to their experimentation with dosage or the unreliability of products bought from unregulated dealers.
The survey also examined the preferred vendors for products. Although legal dispensaries are the most relied upon among all generations, Gen Z was found to be the most likely to get pot from a dealer, with 27% choosing that source over legal purchases.
Whether they have just tried or regularly use the drug, 81% of Americans support national deregulation, according to the poll.
