“These findings ought to reassure lawmakers that cannabis access can be legally regulated in a manner that is safe, effective, and that does not inadvertently impact young people’s habits.”
Tag: adolescents
“These findings ought to reassure lawmakers that cannabis access can be legally regulated in a manner that is safe, effective, and that does not inadvertently impact young people’s habits.”
In the past decade alone, during which time 24 states legalized adult use marijuana sales, the percentage of 8th graders, 10th graders, and 12 graders who reported having ever consumed cannabis declined 32 percent, 37 percent, and 23 percent respectively.
“States’ real-world experience with marijuana legalization proves that these policies can be implemented in a manner that provides regulated access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse.”
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.
The NSDUH data reports that the percentage of those ages 12 to 17 who reported having ever tried marijuana fell 18 percent from 2014 to 2023. Those reporting having consumed cannabis during the past year fell 15 percent. The percentage of teens reporting current marijuana use fell 19 percent.
“Prevalence of cannabis use did not change among youth over time,” the study’s authors concluded.
Consistent with prior analyses, researchers determined, “There was no evidence that RML [recreational marijuana laws] were associated with encouraging youth marijuana use.”