Study: legalizing recreational cannabis would reduce consumption among young people

A new American study suggests that legalizing recreational cannabis would reduce youth consumption.

Researchers analyzed data from 1.4 million high school students between 1991 and 2017 regarding their cannabis consumption habits. In the States where recreational cannabis has been legalized, The number of high-school students reporting that they had used cannabis at least once in the previous month fell by 8%, while the number reporting that they had used it at least 10 times in the last 30 days fell by 9%. This represents a drop in both occasional and regular users.

Researcher Mark Anderson, a professor at Montana State University, says: «We found no effect on adolescent use after legalization for medical purposes, but evidence of a possible reduction in use after legalization for recreational purposes.».

One of the reasons put forward to explain this phenomenon is the difficulty young people have in accessing the substance. With legalization, a large proportion of illegal distribution networks automatically disappear, making it difficult for minors to obtain the drug.

Professor Bonnie Halpern-Felsher wonders whether young people are hearing the message that «marijuana use in adolescence is more harmful because of brain development». She stresses the need to educate and inform young people about cannabis.

However, other sources seem to support the results of this research. A report by Colorado Division of Criminal Justice Office of Research and Statistics reports that the number of high school students reporting having used cannabis in the last 30 days or at least once in their lives remained statistically unchanged between 2005 and 2017, even though Colorado legalized recreational cannabis in 2014. Youth consumption levels have even decreased since legalization.