Marijuana Legalization and Suicides Among Older Adults / Sara Markowitz, Katie E. Leinenbach.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Markowitz, Sara.

Contributor:

Leinenbach, Katie E.

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w34519.

NBER working paper series no. w34519

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2025.

Summary:

Suicide rates among older adults have been rising over time in the United States. At the same time, more individuals have been suffering with chronic pain and illness, which are often underlying risk factors for suicide. As self-medication with marijuana has become common, we ask whether access to legal marijuana for medical and recreational purposes reduces suicides rates among older individuals. We find that suicide rates among older age groups decline following the opening of recreational marijuana dispensaries, especially among older Whites, and middle-aged White males and females with low levels of education.

Notes:

November 2025.

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