Cannabis Legalization: 22M US Teenagers Are Less Interested In Weed In States Where It's Legal, Go Figure

With 24 states and DC now having legalized cannabis, 38 states having approved medical marijuana and the Biden administration easing the DEA's draconian Schedule I classification, researchers (and probably far more parents) are wondering what this all means for our teenagers.

Despite the above list of legal access, it's worth mentioning that no teenager can get through the door of any legal marijuana dispensary. However, we all know that's not where or how kids get their weed.

Though some studies have indicated that marijuana use can harm the developing brain and many health experts worry that relaxing cannabis laws will increase usage among minors.

Rebekah Levine Coley, a developmental psychologist at Boston College, is less certain.

In April, Coley and her colleagues published a study in JAMA examining drug use patterns among 900,000 high school students from 2011 to 2021, using data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey. They found fewer minors reported cannabis use in states where it's been legalized. That said, in the states that both legalized cannabis and have launched retail sales, some adolescents were more frequent consumers. The net effect overall was a flat or slight decline in adolescent cannabis use.

Coley discussed the study with The New York Times, where their interview began looking at the common assumption that legal cannabis would lead to increased use among teens.

Not Quite, Says Expert: Consumption Has Declined In Legal States

Contrary to expectations, the study found slight declines in cannabis use among adolescents in states that legalized recreational marijuana, which Coley said made sense. "Yes, common sense might argue that as cannabis becomes legalized, it will be more accessible. There will be fewer potential legal repercussions, hence availability would increase and use would increase," Coley said. "We did not find that with adolescents. If anything, we are seeing very small declines in cannabis use in states that legalized recreational cannabis, as well as declines in alcohol use and e-cigarettes."

Why?

One reason Coley posed was parental awareness. "As cannabis has become legalized, parents and others are more aware of potential access for their children…parents are having more discussions with adolescents about the potential risks or imposing more supervision."

An earlier Monitoring the Future study also concluded that teen use rates of marijuana are going down.

NYT reporter Matt Richtel asked how the study results affect how Coley views policy changes that are set relax cannabis laws at the federal level.

"The evidence provides some hope that increasing legalization, even at a federal level, will not lead to substantial increases in adolescent use. That said, we know that there are some notable potential health implications of adolescent use of cannabis," Coley, said, cautioning about teen attraction to vaping and edibles, which are hard to dose. "So, continuing to track adolescent use of cannabis and other substances remains a key public health concern."

This topic among so many others will be discussed at upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference on Oct. 8-9. Get your tickets now before prices go up by following this link.

Now read: Cannabis Stocks And ETFs Surged On Marijuana Rescheduling News: WTR’s Industry Report Analyzes What’s Behind The Optimism

Photo: Courtesy of Aedrian on Unsplash