Now that pot is legal, everything is OK, right? Wrong. Drug abuse is still widespread and the opioid epidemic is rampant. Michigan is caught in its grip.

Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Michigan, it seems the statistics might have gone down. Believe it or not, this is actually a slight improvement, as Michigan ranked #2 in drug use in 2019. Current findings rank the state #3 in drug use in America.

Wallethub again did their annual study of drug use across the country, ranking states in three overall categories:

  1. Drug Use & Addiction
  2. Law Enforcement
  3. Drug Health Issues & Rehab

Twenty-two key metrics were measured, ranging from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and employee drug testing laws. While Michigan did not make the top 5 in percentage of teen or adult drug users, most opioid deaths per capita, most drug arrests or overdose deaths per capita, enough other factors contributed to the overall result of third worst drug problem in America.

Drug Abuse & Prevention in Michigan (1=Biggest Problem; 25=Avg.):

  • 15th – Share of Teenagers Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month
  • 13th – Share of Adults Who Used Illicit Drugs in the Past Month
  • 14th – Opioid Pain Reliever Prescriptions per Capita
  • 17th – Drug Overdose Deaths per Capita
  • 20th – Share of Adults Who Needed but Didn’t Receive Treatment for Illicit Drug Use in the Past Year
  • 11th – Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities per 100,000 People (12 Years and Older) Using Illicit Drugs
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Here are some tips for self-care during the pandemic:

 

Source: WalletHub

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