By now, any remaining dog whistles of marijuana legalization potentially creating unfettered cannabis access for teenagers should lower the volumes of their shrieks. Both Washington and Denver seen teenage marijuana usage rates drops in the years following recreational marijuana legalization. Now, a study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that legalizing marijuana doesn’t draw teens to smoking marijuana and instead may dissuade usage.
The study’s authors focused on data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for its Youth Risk Behavior survey to conduct their research. By analyzing the responses from over 1.4 million students between 1993 and 2017, they were able to recognize how teens used marijuana before and after 27 states passed marijuana legislation, both for medical and recreational use.
“Just to be clear we found no effect on teen use following legalization for medical purposes, but evidence of a possible reduction in use following legalization for recreational purposes,” said Mark Anderson, lead author on the study and associate professor at Montana State University. One theory posited by researchers in the study as to why legalizing marijuana saw static or lowered changes in teenage marijuana use is because “it is more difficult for teenagers to obtain marijuana as drug dealers are replaced by licensed dispensaries that require proof of age.” Such findings are consistent with previous studies regarding the relationship between legalization and teen marijuana use.
TheGrowthOp Yes yes it does. Downside it the city kinda smells like pine or skunk at all times, but it definitely is not abused and hidden any longer, I tolerate the smell over smoke from cigarettes any day
TheGrowthOp Of course when I was in high school most fellow students only did it because it was “illegal” now that it’s legal where is the fun? I won’t be surprised if cocaine starts popping up a little bit in high schools.
TheGrowthOp Manifestly false. The author of the study was (is) probably stoned.
TheGrowthOp
TheGrowthOp 🤣🤣🤣 Yeah, sorry, I call bullshit.
TheGrowthOp I’d say traditional marijuana use certainly has been shrinking more. I remember lots of people did it and once vapes and crap blew up they moved to e-devices. But yeah, everyone seems to do it or try it which makes it casual and legalization is just going to push for new drugs.
TheGrowthOp Good on them
TheGrowthOp I disagree!!! From what I’ve been hearing & seeing in the schools.....no way!!! If anything, it’s the opposite!!!!
TheGrowthOp Ya don’t say. Time to legalize everything.