Angelo State Assistant Professor Calls for Marijuana Legalization in Opinion Piece

SAN ANGELO, TX — An Angelo State University assistant economics professor argues that legalizing recreational marijuana could play a key role in reducing opioid overdose deaths in the United States, according to a new opinion piece published Wednesday in "The Hill." 

The article, co-written by Dr. Raymond March of ASU and Elisha Denkyirah of West Virginia University, cites research showing that opioid overdose deaths dropped by 27 percent in 2024 compared to 2023 — the first recorded national decline in decades. The authors attribute part of this decrease to state-level marijuana legalization policies that offer alternatives to opioid use.

March and Denkyirah point to new findings published in the Southern Economic Journal, which analyzed 20 years of data and found that states with legalized recreational marijuana experienced significantly fewer opioid-related deaths.

They also note that states that legalized marijuana earliest, such as Colorado and Washington, saw the largest and most sustained decreases in overdose rates — even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the authors, marijuana is less habit-forming than opioids and poses little risk of fatal overdose. They argue that wider access to cannabis as a pain reliever could help Americans avoid turning to more dangerous substances such as fentanyl.

Currently, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuana. Several others, including Pennsylvania and Virginia, are considering similar legislation, while Texas has recently expanded its medicinal marijuana access laws.

March and Denkyirah conclude that broader legalization could continue the downward trend in opioid-related deaths, calling it “a step in the right direction.”

Find the original opinion piece HERE.