Cannabis Legalization Does Not Increase Youth Use, Says Report From Altria And Molson Coors-Backed Policy Group

The Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education and Regulation (CPEAR) issued a new report on Wednesday with the title - Cannabis Legalization Is Not Associated with Increases in Youth Use, revealing that state-level marijuana legalization usually doesn’t cause an increase in youth consumption.

The members of this alcohol and tobacco industry-backed marijuana policy group include some large players across these industries such as Altria Group’s MO Altria Client Services, Molson Coors Beverage Company TAP and Constellation Brands STZ. The report was released before a scheduled panel event the group is hosting on Thursday with the main topic being youth prevention. The panel will also feature Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO).

Senator Hickenlooper was Colorado’s governor at the time the state legalized recreational marijuana, which he was actually against. Over the years, he changed his perspective and started to generally back the reform. He often shared how adult-use legalization in Colorado has not negatively impacted youth marijuana consumption despite many cannabis opponents expressing concern.

The new report reveals what other researchers have confirmed on numerous occasions: adolescent cannabis consumption “either decreases or remains flat in regulated cannabis markets.”

CPEAR further noted that evidence shows that “government guidance, access to research, and increased exposure to community-driven, science-based after-school programming” discourages underage cannabis consumption.  

“CPEAR believes local communities should be at the core of any effort to reduce youth use and misuse of cannabis. These efforts include afterschool programs comprised of measurable targets on a timely basis,” the report states. “Additionally, a federal regulatory system should consist of policies to fund community systems and ensure that appropriate resources are available. Finally, a community approach must be driven by data and science to adapt continuously.”

The report underscores that a regulated marijuana market helps lower youth consumption by disrupting the illegal market in which IDs and age limits don’t apply. 

Photo: Courtesy of Shot by Cerqueira on Unsplash