Early pot use may spur depression

NEW YORK —
— Children and teenagers who smoke marijuana may have a somewhat heightened risk of developing depression, a new study suggests — though whether the drug itself is to blame is not clear.

Several studies have found an association between marijuana use and increased risks of depression and anxiety disorders, but some others have failed to confirm such a link. Moreover, it has been unclear whether marijuana use, or some other factor, accounts for the connection.

Overall, the researchers found a modest association between marijuana smoking before the age of 17 and the odds of suffering depression later on. Early marijuana use was linked to a 50percent increase in the risk of developing a depression "spell."

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Legalizing pot would lower prices, raise use, study says
By Josh Richman
Oakland Tribune

Legalizing marijuana could cause the drug's price to plummet while increasing use by an uncertain amount, according to a new study from a respected public-policy think tank.

RAND Corp. researchers say known production costs and surveys of marijuana's current price suggest the untaxed retail price of high-quality marijuana could drop to as low as $38 per ounce, compared with about $375 per ounce now.

"There is considerable uncertainty about the impact that legalizing marijuana in California will have on consumption and public budgets," said RAND Drug Policy Research Center co-director Beau Kilmer, the study's lead author, cautioning against believing anyone who claims to know precisely how legalization would play out. "No government has legalized the production and distribution of marijuana for general use, so there is little evidence on which to base any predictions about how this might work in California."

Much of the current price of marijuana essentially is compensation to growers and dealers for the risks of being prosecuted or robbed — risks that would disappear or be minimized by legalization. Also, automated cultivation techniques and economies of scale — running bigger or multiple grows — would reduce labor and supply costs.

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"Aw shooot!  That's doesn't sound too good!"