Those wedded to the status quo of cannabis criminalization have long warned that legalizing the marijuana market will result in increased adolescent use. But 10 years following the first states’ decisions to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis sales, data conclusively shows that this fear was unfounded.
“Retailers provide consumers with the option of obtaining lab-tested products in a safe, regulated environment. The sooner consumers have market access to cannabis products, the more quickly we will begin to see disruptions to the unregulated marketplace.”
New Hampshire is the only New England state that currently prohibits adult-use cannabis sales.
“When it comes to retail cannabis, the prevailing attitude is ‘Buy American.'”
After a century of failed policies and “canna-bigotry,” the verdict is in. Legalization is a success, and the end of cannabis prohibition can’t come soon enough.
“Together, results found no net increases in cannabis or, through spillover effects, alcohol or tobacco use among adolescents in response to the rapid rise of RCL [recreational cannabis legalization] and RCR [recreational cannabis retail sales]. Results suggest that legalization and greater control over cannabis markets have not facilitated adolescents’ entry into substance use.”
“The sooner consumers have market access to cannabis products, the more quickly we will begin to see disruptions to the unregulated marketplace.”
“There’s no ‘buyer’s remorse’ among the public when it comes to legalizing cannabis.”