A recent study indicates that the availability of medical cannabis might lead to increased parenting time by improving patients’ overall health. Published in the “Journal of Applied Economics,” the research notes that medical cannabis legalization enhances sleep and reduces inactivity, aligning with its health benefits.
According to the study, the legalization of medical cannabis can have a positive effect on a child’s development by allowing parents to spend more time with their kids, particularly if they are younger than six years old, a critical age for parental involvement. These advantages, however, are dependent on parents not abusing cannabis.
Legalizing medical marijuana, according to the researchers, results in more time spent with children. This is seen in both passive childcare, where parents watch over their children while working on other tasks, and active childcare, where parents play with their kids. Parents who are likely to benefit from medical marijuana and have greater parenting experience overall — especially those with small children — have more significant impacts from the drug.
The study’s data came from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) conducted by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics between 2003 and 2019. Participants in the ATUS recorded their daily activities every 15 minutes.
To measure the increase in parenting time, the researchers compared education levels between groups. Parents with some college education generally spent more time on active parenting than those with less education. The educational difference was reflected by a four-minute increase (12.56%) in active childcare and a ten-minute increase in passive childcare, accounting for 8.92% of the difference.
Nonworking parents spend more time on active childcare than working parents, with the study showing a 22-minute difference. The difference in childcare costs between working and nonworking parents can be attributed to treatment effects on active childcare (18%) and passive childcare (7%).
Parents with children under six years of age as well as those on weekends showed greater increases in parenting time. The report highlights that the increases are focused on activities such as playing with and looking after children, with no significant effect on more demanding tasks such as planning or organizing for children.
One argument is that medicinal marijuana facilitates the management of pain and other ailments, allowing parents to spend more time with their kids doing less physically demanding activities. This is consistent with the use of medical marijuana to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia and chronic pain.
Interestingly, men showed a greater increase in parenting time post-legalization compared to women, which aligns with previous research indicating men’s higher increase in marijuana use following legalization. Moreover, the effect was more pronounced in states with higher religious activity.
The study found no evidence that medical cannabis legalization negatively impacted productive time use, such as home production and market work, or led to increased tobacco or drug use.
However, a key drawback of the study is the lack of individual-level cannabis use data in the ATUS. “Moreover, it is imperative to interpret the results in light of the USA’s global leadership in the consumption of opioid analgesics, which could serve as a viable alternative to medical cannabis,” the authors noted.
The findings of this study are likely to provide some additional validation for numerous companies such as Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) that are engaged in commercializing medical marijuana products that target different health conditions, such as chronic pain.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/SFWJ
About CNW420
CNW420 spotlights the latest developments in the rapidly evolving cannabis industry through the release of an article each business day at 4:20 p.m. Eastern – a tribute to the time synonymous with cannabis culture. The concise, informative content serves as a gateway for investors interested in the legalized cannabis sector and provides updates on how regulatory developments may impact financial markets. If marijuana and the burgeoning industry surrounding it are on your radar, CNW420 is for you! Check back daily to stay up-to-date on the latest milestones in the fast -changing world of cannabis.
To receive SMS alerts from CNW, text CANNABIS to 888-902-4192 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)
For more information, please visit https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.CannabisNewsWire.com/Disclaimer
CannabisNewsWire
Denver, CO
www.CannabisNewsWire.com
303.498.7722 Office
Editor@CannabisNewsWire.com
CannabisNewsWire is powered by IBN