Colorado: youth cannabis use down since legalization

The latest figures from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) confirm what American states that have legalized cannabis are observing at their level: young people are consuming less cannabis since it was legalized.

The most significant decline is in Colorado, where the prevalence of cannabis use among 12-17 year-olds fell by 10%, from 11.1% in 2012-13 (pre-legalization) to 9.1% in 2015-16. The federal study mirrors the one conducted by Colorado, which came to the same conclusion.

Washington State also witnessed this decline of cannabis use among young people following its legalization. The consumption rate among 12-17 year-olds fell from 9.8% in 2012-13 to 7.9% in 2014-15.

Washington D.C. and Oregon saw smaller declines. The only state where youth consumption has increased since legalization is Alaska, from 18.44% in 2014-15 to 18.86% in 2015-16.

«Colorado effectively regulates adult-use cannabis,» explains Brian Vincente, a pro-reform activist who helped legalize cannabis in Colorado. «Teenage use seems to be decreasing now that local authorities are controlling the production and sale of cannabis. There are stiff penalties for selling to minors, and businesses licensed to sell cannabis are vigilant about checking IDs. The days when thousands of adults were arrested to prevent teenagers from using cannabis are over.

In May, a study led by Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the lead agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, already highlighted the same statistical trends. In September, the Substance Abuse Administration noted that young Americans had never consumed so little cannabis for 20 years.

Kevin Sabet, Group President Smart Approach to Marijuana, opposed to legalization, notes that the study still places Colorado among the states that consume the most cannabis, and that it is first for people over the age of 12 who tried cannabis for the first time during the 2015- 2016 period. These figures could be, for him, a harbinger of a future rise in consumption in Colorado.

«It will be interesting to see where the next few years lead,» explains Sabet. «Two years doesn't make a trend. We want to look at more data points over more than two years.»

Colorado's numbers, however, are a good reason to keep going for Mark Bolton, cannabis advisor to Colorado's governor. «We've been really involved with this administration in trying to decrease youth cannabis use,» he says. «Even though the numbers are encouraging, our work needs to continue.»