Data from China says that traces of the COVID-19 virus were found in some men’s semen. Still, experts are not too concerned.
COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that’s widespread and still not understood, making it a perfect recipe for panic. Every couple of weeks new studies pop up, alarming us to the horrible possibilities the virus presents. One of these cases occurred in China, where a study showed that a percentage of men had traces of the COVID virus in their semen.
The study was small, conducted on just 38 men who had received treatment or were being treated for COVID-19. Results of the study said that 16% of these men had traces of COVID in their semen (6 men in total). Four of them were still infected.
Despite this evidence and how alarming it might sound, medical experts believe that there’s no cause for alarm, even if more research should be conducted. They emphasize that there’s not enough data to suggest that the virus can be transmitted through sexual contact alone.
The study has many limitations, including the small size of it. Researchers also didn’t dive into important specifics, like whether the virus was alive or dead when it was found in the semen samples.
Dr. Jaimie Meyer, an infectious disease specialist, told Cosmopolitan said that if there’s transmission during sex it most likely occurred through kissing and close contact. “We still think that the primary mode of transmission is through droplets,” she said. “Droplets that actually invade the nasal mucosa and the upper respiratory tract.”
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Dr. Meyer says that there might be increased risk when it comes to oral sex, since the oral mucosa would be involved, but this is still just speculation.
Traces of the COVID-19 virus are found in people’s blood, saliva, stool samples, and more, which is similar to other viruses like Zika and Ebola. Despite this knowledge, sex isn’t the main way in which these diseases are transmitted.
More research is necessary, but what we do know is that close contact with infected people greatly improves the odds of contracting coronavirus. “More and more we are seeing that it’s the close, extended viral exposure time spent in close proximity, especially indoors or in a poorly ventilated or small room, that is most effectively transmitting COVID,” explains Dr. Jill Grimes to Healthline.
While you might not have to worry about the specifics of sex and coronavirus, sadly, breathing and kissing someone who might have been exposed remains a big risk.
The study suggests that cannabis does reduce symptoms of PTSD acutely, but might not have longer term beneficial effects on the underlying condition.
A new study concludes that marijuana temporarily relieves post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms by half, but questions the plant’s use in long-term PTSD treatment. Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the research represents more evidence that marijuana could play a significant role in helping PTSD patients, including veterans.
This study, led by Washington State University researchers, analyzed data self-reported by more than 400 PTSD patients. Using the Strainprint app, users tracked when they smoked or vaped marijuana, and how consumption was affecting their symptoms. Though other forms of marijuana were used by patients, this study did not focus on those results. Overall, there were over 11,000 patient entries over a 31-month period.
According to the data, smoking or vaping cannabis decreased all PTSD symptoms by more than 50%. More specifically, irritability was reduced by 67% and anxiety by 57%. The intrusion of returning thoughts of a traumatic event dropped by about 62%, and flashbacks by 51%. Higher doses led to larger reductions in anxiety and intrusions while the amount of marijuana patients used to treat anxiety rose over time.
These effects weren’t permanent, the study’s lead author Carrie Cuttler noted.
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“The study suggests that cannabis does reduce symptoms of PTSD acutely, but it might not have longer term beneficial effects on the underlying condition,” Cuttler said in a statement. “Working with this model, it seems that cannabis will temporarily mask symptoms, acting as a bit of a band aid, but once the period of intoxication wears off, the symptoms can return.”
Researchers added that whole-plant cannabis with a combination of CBD and THC created the therapeutic effect in patients. But there was no significant determination in differing levels of CBD and THC, just that both were present. Cuttler’s team also recognized the limitations of the study, which relied on self-reported data. Without a placebo or double-blind setting, researchers couldn’t compare symptom reductions between marijuana users and non-users.
A 2019 study noted that PTSD patients that used medical marijuana were seven times less likely to have experienced a recent major depressive episode versus patients who didn’t use cannabis. Another study published in the Clinical Psychology Review added that evidence showed cannabis could likely benefit patients with PTSD, depression, and social anxiety.
The pandemic certainly affected the industry for the first half of 2020, but the lingering effects will still be felt throughout the rest of the year.
Legal cannabis sales continue to grow despite the strength of the illegal market. The new State of Legal Cannabis Markets report from the Arcview Group highlights the strengths of the industry going into 2020, while also acknowledging the challenges ahead.
Arcview partnered with analytics firm BDSA and is forecasting that worldwide spending on legal cannabis will grow 38% to $20.4 billion in 2020. Despite this, the lions share of purchases occur in the illegal markets. The report estimates that in 2019 $214 billion was spent in the illicit channels, while $14.8 billion was spent in the legal market.
This had been one of the biggest arguments for legalizing marijuana. Activists promised that if cannabis was legalized, then the illicit market would crumble because consumers would want to support legal businesses and enjoy the tested products with lots of variety. Instead, states that have enjoyed legal adult-use cannabis for at least five years continue to see 30-50% of sales occur in the illegal market. It would seem that this would not support more legalization, but it could have the opposite effect.
The report suggests that high taxation resulting in higher prices for product in the legal stores is the biggest hurdle. It said, “Local regulators could lower tax rates and/or relax regulations in pursuit of a quicker reduction in illicit-market sales, driving more legal spending and ultimately more tax revenue.”
This will be harder than it sounds. Oklahoma opted for a typical sales tax of 4%, while Washington is at an eye-popping 39%. California attempted to keep cannabis taxes from increasing, but it was blocked. It seems the state is pleased with the money it gets despite the effect it is having on pushing customers to cheaper options.
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COVID’s Silver Lining
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly affected the industry for the first half of 2020, but the lingering effects will still be felt throughout the rest of the year. Cannabis was deemed an essential service in many states, but that didn’t mean all companies thrived under that designation. The report suggests that a recession starting this year could have short-term impacts that could be dire for some cannabis companies. Still, there could be a silver lining.
“State tax shortfalls due to recession could prompt more legislatures to proceed with cannabis legalization sooner rather than later,” read the report. It has the support of the population. BDSA’s fourth-quarter Consumer Insights study determined 29% of Americans already consumer cannabis. States that legalized cannabis also experienced an increase in cannabis consumers. In other words, passing new legislation would be popular and in turn increase, the tax revenue as more consumers come into the industry.
New Legalization
The flip side to COVID and new legislation is that with quarantines in place, it’s hard to push through new legal states even though it’s a big election year. 2016 was a big year for new states, but 2020 looks to be less so. Only three states have initiatives on the November ballot. Mississippi for medical use, New Jersey for adult use, and South Dakota for both. With limited federal aid, Governor Cuomo is considering cannabis legalization as a key strategy to generate crucial revenue streams for NYC and the entire state.
New Jersey had tried to pass legislation in 2019, but couldn’t get the three-fifths majority needed from legislators. Now the state is letting voters decide and it is expected to pass. That means sales could begin in 2022 or sooner. The report forecasts that New Jersey could jump from $107 million in 2019 spending to $1.3 billion by 2025.
The issue of federal illegality still looms over the industry. All the legislation that looked promising has stalled. While some thought President Trump might make a legalization move to garner support as his popularity declines amongst his base, he has not signaled any such effort. The Democratic nominee Joe Biden has taken a moderate approach and according to the latest CNN poll, looks to be leading Trump. However, COVID and racial injustice issues look to be the hot button issues, pushing legalization to the back burner
The summer continues to provide new challenges for the COVID-19 outbreak. Are pools and lakes safe to visit?
Summer is finally here, meaning that thousands of people are desperate to get some sun. This warm weather yearning is made even worse after experiencing months of social distancing guidelines, which seem to have eliminated beach and pool trips for the time being. But, if you’re steering clear from other people and are being careful, how safe is it to swim in a lake, pool or ocean?
One of the positive things that scientists have discovered about the coronavirus is that people are much less likely to catch it when they’re in an open and outdoor space. Although there’s always a risk when you leave a controlled space (like your house), the fact that you’re in a pool, lake or an ocean doesn’t change much for experts, no matter the angle you wish to focus on.
In an interview with the New York Times, Dr. Ebb Lautenbach from the University of Pennsylvania said that people should worry about other people, not about water and it’s capacity to shuffle germs around. “There’s nothing inherent about ocean water or especially pool water that is risky. The bug isn’t transmitted via a waterborne route,” says Dr. Ebb Lautenbach. “Chlorine and bromine that are in pools inactivate the virus and makes it even lower risk in terms of catching it from the water.”
Photo by Marc-Antoine Roy via Unsplash
USC professor Paula Cannon shares these beliefs, explaining that lakes and beaches don’t pose a risk due to dilution. “You’d have to probably drink the entire lake to get an infectious dose of the coronavirus,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
The main issues with beaches, public pools and popular lakes is that most of these spaces get crowded when there’s warm weather, offering less space than public parks and other outdoor sports where people gather. Cluttered spaces and water also make it harder for you to wear the appropriate masks and face coverings and to stay 6-feet away from others.
Social distancing remains the same, whether you’re in a pool, lake or the ocean. If you visit a beach or your local pool during off hours, there should be no issues provided you’re careful, you wipe nearby surfaces and you stay 6-feet apart from others.
The National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws says the consequences of marijuana enforcement have damaging and sometimes fatal consequences.
Last week, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) delivered a powerful message about how communities of color are disproportionately affected by the enforcement of the War on Drugs. In response to “recent violent deaths of Africans Americans,” NIDA director Nora D. Volkow highlighted that systemic discrimination directly thwarts the federal institution’s effort to address addiction as a disease rather than a moral failing.
“[Our] mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability,” Volkow wrote. “Science has told us repeatedly that systematic, widespread discrimination of Black/African-American people is diametrically opposed to these aims, and what’s more, it is unacceptable and wrong.”
The National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws (NORML) applauded the statement, adding cannabis advocates know the truth of her statements all too well. But the group called upon NIDA and Volkow to take a step further and label marijuana prohibition as more detrimental than the plant itself.
“We believe that taking this public position would be consistent with NIDA’s mission to promote and enhance public health. NORML recognizes that, from a public health perspective, cannabis is not altogether harmless,” NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri and Deputy Director Paul Armentano wrote in a joint open letter. “It can be mood-altering; some consumers can become dependent upon it, and some can experience adverse effects.
“But we believe, and based upon your recent public statements we have faith that you do too, that marijuana’s potential public health risks to the individual adult consumer pale in comparison to the known public health burden imposed by its continued criminalization.”
NIDA’s Volkow noted white and black Americans use drugs at similar rates, but the latter group is four times as likely to be arrested for possession. But violating marijuana laws can often lead to damaging long-term effects. As NORML pointed out, consequences can include loss of employment, student aid, adoption rights, welfare benefits. It can also lead to probation, mandatory drug testing, lifelong criminal record, and more.
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As the Washington Post has reported, cannabis can be deadly in ways not often discussed in scientific and political circles. Low-level marijuana arrests can lead to fatal encounters with the police, as it did in the cases of Keith Lamont Scott in Charlotte, Ramarley Graham in the Bronx, and Philando Castile in Minnesota. By condemning marijuana prohibition, NIDA would hold considerable sway in addressing criminal justice reform in the country.
“Will marijuana legalization and regulation alone fix over a century of systemic racism in America? No,” the NORML directors wrote in their letter. “But nonetheless we understand, all too well, the role that marijuana criminalization has played — and continues to play — in upholding the systemic racism that NIDA has now gone on record to condemn.
“That is why, in the interest of both enhancing public health and confronting the institutional racism that plagues our nation, we ask you and NIDA to publicly acknowledge that the perpetuation of the criminal enforcement of marijuana prohibition, as well as the stigmatization of those adults who use it responsibly, is far more detrimental to public health than is the behavior these policies are intended to discourage.”
Experts believe it’s important to be mindful of our decisions during this time, since these can affect our mental and physical health after the pandemic has passed.
Depression, grief and anxiety have been so widely reported during the coronavirus outbreak that it’s likely we all know someone who deals with at least one of these conditions on a daily basis. While there’s been a rise in teletherapy, it’s very important for governments to address these issues, especially since they’ll most likely continue to affect people long after the pandemic has passed.
Another aspect that a lot of people are questioning is the state of their physical health. Once life goes back to normal, whenever/if that ever happens, will our bodies look and feel the same? The answer depends on each person’s life and decisions, including their level of activity and coping methods.
Gizmodo spoke with several experts who provided their opinions on the subject. Most agree that what matters most is how you choose to cope with the pandemic. While there has to be some leeway and forgiveness for our behaviors during these strange and stressful times, at some point we have to get used to it and adapt to the new situation, hopefully making the right decisions for our bodies.
Eating junk foods, watching lots of TV, consuming more alcohol and going to bed late are habits that are growing increasingly common, a very concerning statistic for most experts. “We are almost certainly facing a small acceleration in the kind of chronic disease development associated with a sedentary lifestyle. And there’s the possibility that some of these negative habits will outlast the virus,” explains Mark Tremblay, professor of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.
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Now that a couple of months have passed and we’re growing accustomed to the current situation, it’s important to remind ourselves to stay moving and to practice healthy habits. As long as you’re practicing social distancing guidelines and following the CDC’s recommendations, there’s no need to stay cooped up inside, even if there aren’t restaurants or bars you can spend time with.
“I think this is actually an opportunity to become as active—or more active—than you’ve ever been before,” says professor of kinesiology Linda Pescatello. “If you develop the right mindset, and can get outside, and the weather cooperates, then this might be a time where you can become more active and avoid being inside.”
The coronavirus is challenging for everyone, but it’s also a great time for growth, for holding on to your friends and loved ones, and for adapting to challenging situations. While every week will likely provide a new set of challenges, your decisions matter.
Even in states where cannabis is legal for medical and recreational use, smoking weed in an apartment is more problematic than it is for those who maintain a private residence.
Apartment living is one of those necessary evils for a lot of us. It keeps the movers-and-shakers of the planet flexible, able to move around from place to place whenever they want. It also prevents them from having to shell out for costly repairs, pay property taxes, and it offers a plethora of other benefits that homeowners do not enjoy. But there are some downsides to this way of life.
Living in a condensed area where a resident is immediately surrounded by dozens of neighbors has been known to cause its fair share of trouble over the years. It’s the reason apartment dwellers often receive complaints about noise, pets, and, increasingly, the odor of marijuana.
Even in states where cannabis is legal for medical and recreational use, smoking weed in an apartment situation is just more problematic than it is for those who maintain a private residence. In fact, even before you move into most places, being a marijuana user is already stacked against you.
Most leases have policies against the use of illegal drugs, smoking and disturbing other tenants. And most of the time, these leases do not account for legal weed at the state level. So, while it might be perfectly legal next year in Illinois to possess and use marijuana, people who live in apartments are probably not going to be able to smoke freely without the risk of repercussions. Therefore, it is going to be necessary for those people to be somewhat clandestine in their cannabis use to keep the peace and reduce the chances of an eviction.
Of course, the best way to prevent hardships as a result of using marijuana in an apartment setting is to just refrain from smoking altogether. In legal states, where a person 21 and older can just step inside their neighborhood dispensary and buy retail weed, there are a variety of cannabis products where smoking is not involved. Edibles are always a smart way to go, as these little beauties are completely smoke-free. But for those people who prefer to smoke weed rather than eat it, there are more discreet products available that won’t reek up the entire apartment building like a joint or a bong. Vaporizers offer the smoking experience without the intrusive aroma that sometimes causes neighbors to complain. Even using dabs, which are concentrates, is a better option than burning raw flower. Your neighbors will never even know you smoke weed.
But if you must smoke marijuana the old fashioned way, you’re going to need to employ a little stoner ingenuity to keep things on the down-low. Remember, unless your lease clearly states that marijuana smoking is allowed on the premises, it’s probably not. And the last thing a renter wants is to start getting complaints that the pungent odor of marijuana keeps wafting into the common areas. These grievances might not get you into trouble with the law — at least not in a legal state — but they could get you kicked out of your home.
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So, make use of bathroom and kitchen fans, which will suck up the smoke and reduce the smell of marijuana. If in the bathroom, it also doesn’t hurt to turn on a hot shower, since the steam works to diminish odors. This is not full-proof, however, so you might also want to block the bottom of your doors with a towel to keep as much of the smoke as possible from escaping. If an exhaust fan is not available, try keeping your smoke session as far away from the front of the apartment as possible. It also doesn’t hurt to burn candles to mask the odor. Some longtime marijuana users even swear by a product called Ozium, which is a spray known to effectively eliminate the skunk.
Fortunately, marijuana smoke is not the same as tobacco smoke. So while consuming weed in this fashion goes against the grain of most leases, the odor of marijuana is not going to linger in the apartment long. Not like it would in a room inhabited by a person who uses cigarettes regularly. This is good news, since breaking the rules of a lease, even if the violation does not lead to eviction, can cause a renter to lose his or her security deposit when the time comes to move someplace new. Perhaps then you will be lucky enough to find a property owner who is a bit more weed-friendly.
My friends have kids who recently graduated, but I’ve been out of work for over two months and can’t afford a gift. What should I do?
Etiquette tips on how to interact in today’s world. Have a question for Mister Manners? Send your queries to info@whatmannersmost.com and look for replies in the coming weeks.
OKAY TO RECEIVE AND NOT GIVE?
Q: As do several of my friends, I have a teenager who’s a 2020 high-school graduate. Ideally, I would be giving gifts to their children in amounts similar to what they have each given my child. Unfortunately, I’ve been out of work for nine-plus weeks due to a coronavirus-related furlough and find myself struggling with matching certain friends’ generosity. What should I do?
A: If there’s one life lesson the Class of 2020 has learned it’s to take nothing for granted. Not their trig teacher who achieved the impossible and got them to like math; not having lunch with the same friends at the same table and in the same seats every day after third period; not taking selfies in the strapless dresses they picked out months ago for the senior prom; and yes, not even graduation presents that give them a jump start to their summers and whatever may lie ahead.
The fact is, though adults often feel obligated to match our friends’ largesse dollar-for-dollar (“Alice and Joe gave us $300 for our wedding; we should do the same”), the foundation of true friendships is not zero-sum-gain present exchanges.
Have a discreet word with your friends explaining your circumstances. If they are experiencing financial hardship themselves, they will likely be relieved, and you can mutually agree to ease back on costly gifts. If your friends still have the means and the desire to give exactly as they would have pre-Coronavirus, do not steal their joy. To decline their gift due to your own sense of pride is also unfair to your young graduate.
All of which brings us to what you can do about your desire to give when it’s in direct conflict with your bank balance. I urge you to think of creative ways to celebrate these graduates. Write them each letters sharing what you believe to be their most admirable traits. Provide advice you wish someone had shared with you at their tender age. And consider an IOU for a future gift, redeemable when your own circumstances change. And they will.
In the meantime, give your friends more credit than thinking they’ll think less of you for giving less. And give the Class of 2020 props for adaptability and acceptance in the face of circumstances none of us could ever have imagined.
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TIME TO GET AWAY… OR TIME TO STAY AWAY?
Q: We have a large beach home, and during long weekends in the summertime, my husband and I have always welcomed various groups of friends to stay with us. This year, although we want to carry on as usual, we’re also concerned about the possibility of getting our guests sick. And vice versa. Do we take a pass on inviting them in 2020?
A: I am all-in on the allure of the ocean—particularly after sheltering in place for what seems an interminably long and not terribly delightful spring. And yet you are right to be weighing the consequences of a friends getaway this summer.
As a starting point, how feasible will it be to remain six-feet apart if you are sharing a home for the weekend? No matter how spacious your abode, you will be gathering for meals and likely taking part in time-honored vacation-house rituals, starting with morning coffee and bagels and wrapping with sunset cocktails. Also consider this prospect: if the weather does not hold up, you yourselves will be holed up indoors.
Do your friends live within driving distance? If yes, perhaps you could invite them for a series of day trips throughout the summer. If they live farther afield, could they stay in a nearby hotel? This would permit you to meet up at the beach, where distancing and fresh air will greatly reduce the possibility of any unwitting COVID-19 transmission.
If these are particularly good friends and you don’t feel right suggesting a hotel, perhaps you might offer for them to use the house during a period when you will not be in residence. (As an aside, they should offer to pay for housekeeping following their visit.)
These are challenging times in so many respects, and normal standards of hospitality are being re-written by the week. But even more than making guests feel at home, ensuring their safety and well-being should be your number-one priority. If you have qualms about your ability to shield everyone’s health, this may be a year where taking a break from issuing invitations is not only defensible but laudable.
Mister Manners, Thomas P. Farley, is a nationally regarded expert who appears regularly in the media to discuss modern-day etiquette dilemmas — from how to split a check fairly to how to get a word in edgewise. Follow Thomas on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And for more insights, listen to his brand-new podcast, “What Manners Most,” which will be focused exclusively on Coronavirus-related etiquette for the foreseeable future.
Quarantine has frozen most sports programming, but that hasn’t stopped sports fans from watching anything that’s competitive.
It’s hard to rank what has been most negatively impacted by the pandemic, but live sporting events have a place high up on the list. Whether we’re talking about visiting a crowded stadium, going to a sports bar or even to watching a game from the comfort of your couch, all of these activities ground to halt once we realized the depths of the pandemic.
Now that live sports aren’t an option, what do fans watch? Research says that a little bit of everything.
Nielsen data shows that hardcore sports fans haven’t given up on TV. In fact, they might be consuming even more of it, filling their time with sports reruns, news coverage, Netflix, and more. There’s been a rise of eSports and, stranger still, marble racing. Here’s what sports fans are turning to while large events are in lockdown.
The Hollywood Reporter explains that Nielsen refers to serious sports fans as “heavy sports viewers.” During the first month of the pandemic, this demographic watched three times more sports than the general adult population. Since there were no live games, this content was made up of sports reruns, sports related programming and the like. These viewers were also watching more news and video on demand when compared to other adults.
eSports
During March, Time magazine reported that there was a 31% increase in Twitch traffic, the most popular website for competitive video streaming. While these events used to be held in large arenas with big crowds, people can continue to train, play and compete with others online. “This is a time where our fans need something to watch, need something to entertain them, need something to distract them from the things that are going on around them, even if it’s just for a short time,” said League of Legends Championship Series Commissioner Christopher Greeley.
The weirdest entry on this list is marble racing, an activity that has almost no human input, with the winners being decided by fate and gravity. These races are made up of very elaborate stages and events, held in different YouTube channels like Jelle Marble Runs. This account has organized events such as Marbula One and Last Marble Standing, which include commentators, crowds made of marble people, and impeccable video production. Over the past month, marble races were highlighted in “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and were broadcast for the first time on ESPN. Humans will really watch and find meaning in anything.
Traffic searches, a longtime tool in the War on Drugs, dropped dramatically following marijuana legalization, new data reveals.
Two weeks have passed since George Floyd was killed while in the custody of Minneapolis police, sparking nationwide protests against police brutality and systemic injustice. National organizations and lawmakers have admitted that rolling back Drug War policies is an important step to fixing inequalities that exist in criminal justice.
That’s because, as data shows, legalizing marijuana changes the behavior of police departments. Colorado and Washington voters approved recreational cannabis in 2012 and a 2017 analysis by the Stanford Open Policing Project examined how this affected the focus of state police. Data shows that roadside searches dropped by nearly half post-legalization, with the most dramatic decrease occurring among Black and Hispanic drivers. In addition, Burlington police in Vermont released data last year that showed traffic searches dropped by 70% after the state legalized marijuana.
According to Stanford researchers, the threshold to pull over minority drivers is lower than it is for white drivers. Though traffic stops eventually dropped by more than 50% in both Colorado and Washington following legalization, that disparity between white and minority drivers remained.
“Searches where you don’t find something are really negative towards a community,” Jack McDevitt, director of Northeastern University’s Institute on Race and Justice, told NBC News. “Have a police officer search your car is really like, ‘Why are they doing this to me?’ And you get more pissed off. If you’re trying to do relationship building, it’s not a good thing to do a lot of searches.”
Photo by Sven Mieke via Unsplash
Roadside searches are also a known tool in the War on Drugs. Philando Castile’s death by Minnesota police started when an officer pulled him over for a busted taillight. The officer who shot Castile later said he feared for his life when he smelled “burnt marijuana” in the car.
Marijuana legalization also re-directs police attention to more serious crimes, according to a 2018 study published in Police Quarterly journal. Police clearance rates increased in Colorado and Washington after legalization in 2012, researchers found. Overall, police made more arrests for burglaries, violent crimes, property crime, and vehicular theft in both Washington and Colorado once marijuana possession arrests fell away.
The study’s authors wrote: “[I]n the absence of other compelling explanations, the current evidence suggests that legalization produced some demonstrable and persistent benefit in clearance rates, benefits we believe are associated with the marijuana legalization proponents’ prediction that legalization would positively influence police performance.”
