Statewide marijuana use among adolescents has not increased since the passage of Proposition 215, according to data released last week by the Attorney General’s office.
“These figures belie claims of Prop. 215 opponents, led by former Attorney General Dan Lungren and Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey, that the approval of medical marijuana will lead to an explosion of teen marijuana use,” California NORML Coordinator Dale Gieringer said.
The report cites statistics from the 1997-98 California Student Substance Abuse Survey that found fewer high school students using marijuana than in previous years (1995-96). The report did note a statistically insignificant increase in marijuana use among 7th graders.
Statistics previously released in August by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) reported that California teens used marijuana at lower rates than the national average.
“The findings of these two surveys, the first to cover the post-1996 period, flatly contradict claims that legalizing medical marijuana sends a dangerous message to children,” NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751 or Dale Gieringer of California NORML @ (415) 563-5858. Preliminary copies of the study are available from the Attorney General’s press office @ (916) 324-5500.