Association of Marijuana Laws With Teen Marijuana Use New Estimates From the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys

JAMA Pediatrics

Adolescent cannabis use decreased slightly following legalization for recreational purposes. These are the main findings from a study that compared how often 1.4 million US high school students used cannabis before and after legalization: for recreational use in seven states and for medical use in 27 states.

After legalization of cannabis for recreational use, 8% fewer high school students used cannabis at least once in the past month, and 9% fewer used cannabis at least 10 times in the past month. Legalization for medical purposes decreased both occasional and frequent cannabis use by about 5%—although these results are less certain than those for recreational legalization.

The authors of this article suggest that it may be more difficult for teenagers to obtain marijuana following legalization.

For the original article, click here.

Anderson DM, Hansen B, Rees DI, Sabia JJ. (2019). Association of Marijuana Laws With Teen Marijuana UseNew Estimates From the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. JAMA Pediatrics, Volume 173 (Issue 9), pp. 871-881. DOI:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1720