Election Day 2024: Will Florida, Nebraska, North And South Dakota Join The Marijuana Revolution?

Election Day has arrived, and we could all probably use a deep breath. Take a moment if you need it.

Now, onto the cannabis front where voters in Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Florida will decide on ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana for recreational or medical use. If approved, these states will join the 38 others that have embraced some form of cannabis legalization and join the rapidly changing landscape of marijuana policy in the U.S.

Here's what’s changed in the landscape…some might even say drastically.

One Of Our Favorites: Adult Weed Consumption Rises As Teen Use Falls

Concerns over a spike in youth cannabis consumption following early legalization efforts, beginning with Colorado and Washington in 2012, have proven unfounded. Contrary to fears, marijuana use among teens has declined, or maybe never really took off.

From 2011 to 2021, the percentage of adolescents reporting marijuana use dropped from 23% to under 16%.

"The ‘sky's going to fall' scenario was that all of the kids were just going to have access to all of the cannabis and it was going to be a terrible, terrible thing," said Ryan Vandrey, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins Medicine who studies cannabis.

"It just goes to show that teenagers will do exactly the opposite of what you think they're going to do at all times," Vandrey told The New York Times, confirming what every parent who has or is raising a teenager already knows.

Adult cannabis consumption, meanwhile, has reached historic highs, with 42% of individuals aged 19-30 and 29% of those aged 35-50 reporting use in the past year.

Read Also: Sharp Drop In Teen Marijuana Use: Legalization And Demographics Examined

Cannabis Use Surpasses Alcohol

Yeah, you read that right. Recent studies have shown that more Americans are now consuming weed daily rather than alcohol. Nearly 18 million people report daily or near-daily marijuana use, outpacing the 15 million who drink with similar frequency.

Seniors Jump On The Weed Wagon Because…Why Not?

The country’s 73 million baby boomers are among the fastest-growing demographic of cannabis users in the U.S. and around the world. In the past 8 years, senior cannabis consumption has tripled. Seniors also happen to possess half of the nation's $140 trillion in wealth, so they’re helping the economy even after they’ve retired.

Closing That Gender Gap

Cannabis use has long been more prevalent among men than women, but that disparity is shrinking. In 2023, young women (ages 19-30) reported higher rates of cannabis use than their male counterparts. Teenage girls also now report higher marijuana use than boys, marking a shift in gender patterns of cannabis consumption.

Now Read:

• Hemp Donations Fuel DeSantis And Florida GOP’s Charge Against Weed Legalization, New Findings

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