Mapping and mitigating the health risks of legalizing recreational cannabis use : A call for synergy between research and policy

[Extract] In the past decade, a growing body of studies has been documenting the health risks of recreational cannabis use1. Short-term risks include (but are not limited to) impaired memory and psychomotor performance, and risky behaviors such as driving and working while intoxicated, which can result in car crashes and accidents at work. Long-term risks include adverse physical health outcomes (e.g., respiratory problems, testicular cancer, and abnormal fetus development), impaired cognitive performance and educational attainment, changes in brain integrity2, mental disorders (e.g., psychoses, depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder), and cannabis use disorders. Emerging evidence shows that the use of high-potency cannabis products, daily or almost daily use, and younger age at cannabis use onset exacerbate adverse health outcomes in recreational cannabis users3.