“These findings ought to reassure lawmakers and the public that cannabis access for adults can be legally regulated in a manner that is safe, effective, and that does not significantly impact young people’s consumption habits.”
Tag: teens
Analysis: Proximity to Cannabis Dispensaries Not Correlated with Higher Rates of Youth Marijuana Use
“This study found no evidence for increased cannabis use among youth living in zip codes with active medical cannabis dispensaries. In fact, 12th graders living in zip codes with dispensaries had lower past-year and past-30-day cannabis use.”
“States’ real-world experience with marijuana legalization affirms that these policies can be implemented in a way that provides regulated access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse.”
NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “These latest findings add to the growing body of scientific literature showing that legalization policies can be implemented in a manner that provides access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse.”
Data provided by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health finds that marijuana use fell significantly year-over-year among those ages 12 to 17.
Investigators reported, “[D]espite significant increases in levels of cannabis use in our sample, change in cannabis use did not predict changes in motivation, which suggests that cannabis use may not lead to reductions in motivation over time.”
“The overall percentage of students who reported using marijuana at least 1 time during the previous 30 days in 2019 was not measurably different from the percentage in 2009…. There was no measurable difference between 2009 and 2019 in the percentage of students who reported that illegal drugs were made available to them on school property.”
California: No Uptick in Frequency of Marijuana Use by Young Adults Following Adult-Use Legalization
“In examining marijuana use before and after legalization of recreational sales in California, we found that frequency of use did not change significantly overall, including following legalization.”