There have been several studies conducted of many counties and cities in the United States supporting its many public health benefits. Many are worried that legalization of marijuana is going to result in spike in youth use, violent crime, mental health illnesses, and so much more. But the data we have shows that legalization can actually prevent this. A 2021 paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research written by economists Daniel I. Rees and D. Mark Anderson highlighted surprising more reasons why legalization can benefit public health.