Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Cannabis and Cancer: Early evidence on the remedying effects of recreational marijuana laws

Svärdhagen, Gustav LU (2019) NEKP01 20191
Department of Economics
Abstract
Medical marijuana has been argued to supplement the treatment of cancer in terms of relieving symptoms and side effects occurring from treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As the legalisation of cannabis becomes more widespread across the United States not only for medical but also recreational use, any effects on the well-being on those who undergo cancer treatment could have important implications for future policy decisions on whether to legalise marijuana. This study is the first to examine the effect of recreational marijuana laws (RMLs) on the self-reported health (SRH) of people suffering from medical conditions qualifying for medical marijuana, such as cancer. By utilizing the quasi-experimental setting associated with... (More)
Medical marijuana has been argued to supplement the treatment of cancer in terms of relieving symptoms and side effects occurring from treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As the legalisation of cannabis becomes more widespread across the United States not only for medical but also recreational use, any effects on the well-being on those who undergo cancer treatment could have important implications for future policy decisions on whether to legalise marijuana. This study is the first to examine the effect of recreational marijuana laws (RMLs) on the self-reported health (SRH) of people suffering from medical conditions qualifying for medical marijuana, such as cancer. By utilizing the quasi-experimental setting associated with the differences in timing of legalisation of marijuana across the United States together with data from the 2010 to 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, this study finds mixed evidence of RMLs being associated with health benefits for people directly affected by cancer. While initial difference-in-difference estimates suggest the existence of a positive effect, results from a synthetic control analysis indicate that changes in health are independent of RMLs. A key implication of these findings is that extending the legalisation of marijuana from medical use only to recreational use could have positive impacts on the self-perceived health of those undergoing some form of cancer treatment, at least in the early years. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Svärdhagen, Gustav LU
supervisor
organization
course
NEKP01 20191
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Recreational marijuana laws, Medical marijuana, Cancer, Self-reported health
language
English
id
8979509
date added to LUP
2019-08-08 10:24:16
date last changed
2019-08-08 10:24:16
@misc{8979509,
  abstract     = {{Medical marijuana has been argued to supplement the treatment of cancer in terms of relieving symptoms and side effects occurring from treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. As the legalisation of cannabis becomes more widespread across the United States not only for medical but also recreational use, any effects on the well-being on those who undergo cancer treatment could have important implications for future policy decisions on whether to legalise marijuana. This study is the first to examine the effect of recreational marijuana laws (RMLs) on the self-reported health (SRH) of people suffering from medical conditions qualifying for medical marijuana, such as cancer. By utilizing the quasi-experimental setting associated with the differences in timing of legalisation of marijuana across the United States together with data from the 2010 to 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, this study finds mixed evidence of RMLs being associated with health benefits for people directly affected by cancer. While initial difference-in-difference estimates suggest the existence of a positive effect, results from a synthetic control analysis indicate that changes in health are independent of RMLs. A key implication of these findings is that extending the legalisation of marijuana from medical use only to recreational use could have positive impacts on the self-perceived health of those undergoing some form of cancer treatment, at least in the early years.}},
  author       = {{Svärdhagen, Gustav}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Cannabis and Cancer: Early evidence on the remedying effects of recreational marijuana laws}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}