The legalisation of both, medical and recreational, marijuana has generated a broad debate
about its benefits. This paper’s aim is to see up close, by reviewing literature published between
2013 and 2019 in the Web of Science Core Collection database, the effects that legalisation
has had in different variables related to physical health. The total number of articles reviewed
was 24. The results exhibit an increase in cases and hospital admissions related with accidental
consumption of marijuana in children under 18, and in adults due to substance abuse. The
number of births admitted to neonatal care has also been affected, in addition to a decrease in
the prescriptions of codeine-formulated medications. No stablished link has been made with the
number of suicides. It can be concluded that legalization has affected different variables related
to physical health, therefore it is necessary to have into account the scientific evidence when
debating about the legalisation of marijuana in Spain or other European Union member States.
Authors
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Francisco González Sala - Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación. Universidad de Valencia / Grupo EVICT Evidencia Cannabis-Tabaco
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Andrea San José - Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación. Universidad de Valencia
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Víctor Ciudad-Fernández - Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación. Universidad de Valencia
Keywords:
Cannabis; marijuana; legalization; physical health; reviewing literature.