Olympia, WA: The use of cannabis by young people in Washington has declined following the enactment of adult use regulations, according to data published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers from the RAND Corporation assessed cannabis prevalence among teens for the years 2014 to 2016. They reported decreased cannabis use among 8th and 10th graders following legalization.
Separate data from Colorado similarly finds that the establishment of marijuana retailers is not associated with increased cannabis use by young people.
For more information, contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Prevalence of cannabis use in youths after legalization in Washington state," appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Additional information appears in NORML’s fact-sheet, "Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates."