New York, NY: The adoption of state-specific cannabis legalization laws is not associated with rising rates of marijuana use by adolescents, nor is it associated with increases in problematic cannabis use among adults, according to data published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
Researchers affiliated with Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health assessed changes in cannabis consumption patterns following the enactment of adult-use legalization laws.
Consistent with other studies, they found no increase in marijuana use among young people (those ages 12 to 20) following legalization. Investigators also failed to identify any increases in either daily use or problematic use “among men and women who used cannabis in any age group.”
Rates of past-year cannabis use did increase among those ages 21 and older, with greater increases reported among women.
The study’s authors concluded: “No increases in past-month daily cannabis use and past-year DSM-5 CUD [cannabis use disorder] among those using cannabis were observed after RCL [recreational cannabis laws] enactment. There were no increases in any cannabis outcomes after RCL enactment among those 12–20 years old. RCL enactment may contribute to narrowing of the cannabis gender gap. Ongoing surveillance is essential to ensure that the social justice aims of legalization are achieved without negative public health consequences.”
Full text of the study, “Gender differences in cannabis outcomes after recreational legalization: A United States repeated cross-sectional study, 2008-2017,” appears in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates.’