Ep. 47 - Cannabis in 2024: A Year In Review

Welcome back to our Cannabis Nurse Truths podcast!  Lee and I took some much-needed time off for the holidaze but we are back to share more truths about cannabis as we move into a new year.

2024 was a crazy year for the cannabis industry, and in the United States, we anticipate more changes as federal, state, and even global perceptions of cannabis shift dramatically.  In this episode, we reflect on some of the major events that happened in the cannabis industry that saw both successes and failures for everyone involved in cannabis - both businesses and users.  But from my perspective as a cannabis nurse, I recognize the underlying trend across the US - cannabis is being used by so many individuals that it can no longer be denied - cannabis is medicine. Welcome to Cannabis Nurse Truths in 2025!

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

Bailey, J.A., Tiberio, S.S., Kerr, D.C.R., Epstein, M., Henry, K.L., & Capaldi, D.M. (2023). Effects of cannabis legalization on adolescent cannabis use across 3 studies. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 64(3), 361–367. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2022.09.019

Ballard, J. (2024, July 17). Marijuana Leads Alcohol For Daily Usage. Alcohol Is Well Ahead For Monthly Usage. YouGov. https://today.yougov.com/health/articles/50106-marijuana-leads-alcohol-daily-usage-alcohol-ahead-monthly-usage

Bradford, A.C., Lozano-Rojas, F., Shone, H.B., Bradford, W.D., & Abraham, A.J. (2024). Cannabis laws and utilization of medications for the treatment of mental health disorders. JAMA Network Open, 7(9), e2432021. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.32021

Business Wire. (2025, January 16). The Two Largest Cannabis Industry Groups Combine Policy Advocacy Efforts To Form Singular, Leading Authority Representing Industry In Washington. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250116788639/en/The-Two-Largest-Cannabis-Industry-Groups-Combine-Policy-Advocacy-Efforts-to-Form-Singular-Leading-Authority-Representing-Industry-in-Washington

Carrión, R.E., Auther, A.M., McLaughlin, D., Adelsheim, S., Burton, C.Z., Carter, C.S., Niendam, T., Ragland, J.D., Sale, T.G., Taylor, S.F., Tso, I.F., McFarlane, W.R., & Cornblatt, B.A. (2023). Recreational cannabis use over time in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis: Lack of associations with symptom, neurocognitive, functioning, and treatment patterns. Psychiatry Research, 328, 115420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115420

Caulkins, J. P. (2024). Changes in self-reported cannabis use in the United States from 1979 to 2022. Addiction, 119(9), 1648–1652. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16519

Cavendish, V. (2025, January 9). New Data Shows Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Corresponds with Drops in Teen Use. Marijuana Policy Project. https://www.mpp.org/news/press/new-data-shows-adult-use-cannabis-legalization-corresponds-with-drops-in-teen-use/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Data Summary & Trends Report 2013-2023. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/pdf/YRBS-2023-Data-Summary-Trend-Report.pdf

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. (2022, June 15). CDPHE Releases Latest Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Data. https://cdphe.colorado.gov/press-release/cdphe-releases-latest-healthy-kids-colorado-survey-data-0

Darakjian, L., Glassman, H., Lo, C.Y., & Russo, F. (2024). Exploring the interaction between cannabis, hearing, and music. OSF. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/pmuhx

Evoy, R., & Victoroff, T. (2024). Prevalence of cannabis use among US workers in 15 states, 2016–2020. American Journal of Public Health, 114(S8), S645–S653. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307788

Halman, A., Chenhall, R., & Perkins, D. (2024). Changes in pain and mental health symptoms associated with prescribed medic