One of legalization opponents’ greatest fears has so far failed to materialize… Teen marijuana use drops sharply in Colorado in the years 2014 and 2015, after the opening of that state’s recreational marijuana market, new federal survey data show….
Year-over-year teen marijuana use fell in most states during that time period, including in Washington, the other state to open recreational marijuana markets in 2014. But that drop wasn’t statistically significant.
In Colorado, the drop in teen marijuana use could reflect changes related to legalization, such as a diminution of the black market. Or it could be a reflection of broader cultural trends, such as increasing disapproval of teen drug use or better substance abuse prevention programs for kids. It’s likely that a number of factors are at play.
Some experts had expected more permissive attitudes toward pot to lead to increased teen use and have subsequently been surprised to find that teen marijuana use has held steady or even fallen nationwide over the past few years.
In either case, the overall trend — flat or falling teen use — appears to support legalization supporters’ arguments that liberalizing marijuana policies will not pose a serious public health threat to adolescents.
Source: After legalization, teen marijuana use drops sharply in Colorado – The Washington Post
