Annual data provided by Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division finds that retailers denied entry 99% of the time to patrons lacking proper proof of age.
Topic: Teens/Youth
Overall, there was “no change in prevalence of past 12-month, past 30-day, or frequent cannabis use” among students in grades 7 to 12.
“This study provides evidence that, in a relatively short 4-year period spanning the cannabis pre-legalization to post-legalization time periods, adolescent cannabis use has declined.”
Investigators reported no increases in either youth use or the percentage of adults with so-called ‘cannabis use disorder’ following legalization.
Childhood depression and other psychological factors significantly predict future initiation of tobacco and cannabis, researchers concluded.
“Over a decade into state-level cannabis legalization, the data is unequivocal: Legalization does not increase youth cannabis use.”
Past-month cannabis use fell 37 percent among high schoolers between 2013 and 2023.
The study’s authors concluded, “Current evidence suggests an association between nicotine-product use and subsequent recreational cannabis use among adolescents.”