A new study on marijuana usage in New York City found that over 1.3 million New Yorkers reported using cannabis in the past year and many of them are residents younger than 34 years old.
The report, released Tuesday by the city's heath department, is the first comprehensive study of the federally illegal drug and it could help pave the way for the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state. Between 2015-2016, 19% of male and 13% of female New York City residents reported using cannabis at least once, according to the study.
The study also took a look at emergency department visits related to cannabis. It found that out of 55,785 drug-related visits, only 3,066 had cannabis-related principal diagnosis and 17% of them also involved alcohol as well as other drugs like cocaine.