Does Legalized Pot Reduce Workers’ Comp Claims?

A study conducted by researchers at Temple University has produced some surprising statistics. It seems to suggest that “medical marijuana may lead to fewer workers’ compensation claims.”

They found that: In states with laws allowing medical marijuana…. there was a nearly 7% decline in workers’ comp claims. When there were claims, they were for shorter periods of time, on average, after medical marijuana was legalized.

Study coauthor Catherine Maclean said, “We think there is a lot of overlap between conditions for which medical marijuana can be used in managing symptoms and the types of illnesses that lead people to file workers’ compensation claims.”

Maclean cited as an example the use of medical marijuana in reducing chronic pain symptoms. She said that, while it doesn’t cure the condition, it can allow the individual to mitigate the symptoms.

Maclean also said, “When a state adopts medical marijuana legalization there is a modest decline in the propensity to file claims and a reduction in the (overall average) income people receive from workers’ compensation.”