(WASHINGTON, DC) – A new report released today by the Common Sense Institute finds that state-level normalization and legalization of drugs—especially marijuana—is having profound consequences on use rates, overdose rates, and perceptions of harm, as well as costing states billions.
According to the report’s findings, early adopters of marijuana legalization like Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska each rank highly against other states for marijuana use, illicit drug use, substance use disorder rates, and overdose rates, while ranking lowly for perceptions of great risk of marijuana, cocaine, or heroin usage. The report also found that the cost of fentanyl overdose in two states with recently passed lenient drug laws, Colorado and Oregon, was a combined $47 billion in 2023.
“Another day, another report that confirms our long held belief—normalization and legalization of today’s psychoactive drugs poses a significant health risk, especially to young people,” said Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions (FDPS) and Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President and CEO Dr. Kevin A. Sabet, a former three-time White House drug policy advisor. “The addiction industry has spun a web of lies to fuel corporate profits. Pot profiteers and their pro-drug allies have told politicians that the legalization and normalization of today’s high-potency THC drug products will actually benefit society. They claim that it will bring social justice, and be an economic boon. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
“The CSI report affirms the medical and scientific data that continues to show state-level drug legalization efforts are claiming lives and creating a new generation of Americans suffering from substance abuse disorders. Policy makers must take into account these serious consequences and take immediate action to scale up prevention education campaigns that demonstrate the harms of drug use, expand access to treatment, and enact comprehensive restrictions that keep the addiction industry from preying on young people,” Sabet said.
Key finds from the Common Sense Institute’s report include:
- When comparing states, overdose rates are highest in states where marijuana is fully legal, second highest in states where marijuana is legal for only medical reasons, and the lowest for states where marijuana is fully illegal.
- Public attitudes and drug laws have been growing more lenient in the last two decades as marijuana and psychedelics have been legalized, according to data from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA).
- Data shows a positive correlation between rising public acceptance of drug use and overdoses.
“Americans are facing a relentless onslaught of pro-drug messaging. Lawmakers must listen to those on the frontlines of our nation’s addiction crisis, and advance policies that discourage drug use, promote recovery. Do that, and we can chart a new course away from drug-fueled future filled with heartbreak,” Sabet said.