A recent study conducted by researchers at Georgia College and State University has found that states that have legalized medical marijuana have experienced a significant decrease in the number of children entering foster care due to parental drug misuse. After three years of implementing the reform, these states saw a nearly 20 percent drop in foster care entries related to drug abuse by parents. However, the study did not find any statistically significant changes in foster care entries after the legalization of adult-use marijuana.
The primary objective of the study was to determine whether the legalization of medical marijuana would lessen stigma, allow for proper use, and reduce the likelihood of children being removed from their homes. To do this, the researchers analyzed national data covering 3.4 million foster care cases from 2007 to 2019. They used a difference-in-differences analysis method to compare changes in foster care placements related to drug misuse between states that legalized marijuana and those that maintained prohibition. The researchers controlled for factors such as state unemployment rate and per capita income.
According to the study’s findings, states that legalized medical cannabis experienced a gradual shift in foster care cases. In the first two years following implementation, these states saw an average decrease of eight percent to ten percent in foster care cases related to parental drug misuse. By the third year, there was an 18 percent decrease, resulting in approximately 700 fewer entries into foster care due to parental drug abuse.
This finding is particularly important because 90 percent of foster care entries due to drug misuse occur in states where medical cannabis is legal. Drug misuse is currently the second most common reason for a child being placed into foster care.
The study also compared states with restrictive versus comprehensive medical cannabis programs. However, the researchers were hesitant to draw conclusions about the differences between these programs due to conflicting data from two analytic models used.
In limited medical marijuana states, one model showed a significant decrease in foster care cases related to drug misuse in the third and fourth year after implementation, while the other model provided less clear results. On the other hand, states with less restrictive medical cannabis laws displayed a statistically and economically significant decrease in foster care entries according to one model, but the data from the other model was inconclusive.
The study suggests that the decrease in foster care entries related to medical marijuana legalization may be due to a combination of cultural and medicinal effects. In states where medical marijuana is legal, it is possible that there is less immediate suspicion when investigating claims of child maltreatment involving marijuana use. Additionally, legalized medical marijuana may be consumed more responsibly and less likely to be abused.
It’s worth noting that another study published last year found a meaningful link between adult-use marijuana legalization and a decrease in foster care drug misuse cases. Researchers at the University of Mississippi discovered that recreational legalization was associated with an average 10 percent decrease in foster care admissions, including reductions in placements due to physical abuse, neglect, parental incarceration, and misuse of alcohol and other drugs.
In conclusion, the recent study conducted by Georgia College and State University provides evidence that legalizing medical marijuana is associated with a significant reduction in foster care cases linked to parental drug misuse. However, further research is needed to fully understand the impact of different types of marijuana legalization programs on foster care entries.
