Authors reported: “[W]e observed a 27 percent overall reduction in the relative proportion of adolescents ages 12 to 17 and a 42 percent reduction among those ages 12 to 14 reporting that it would be ‘very easy’ to obtain marijuana. This pattern was uniformly observed among youth in all sociodemographic subgroups.”
Category: youth
Marijuana Use Continues Rapid Decline Among Younger Teens
Self-reported marijuana use continues to fall among younger teens, according to federally commissioned, nationwide survey data compiled by the University of Michigan.
CDC: Changes In State Marijuana Laws Associated With Declining Teen Use
The passage of statewide laws regulating the consumption of cannabis by adults and/or qualified patients is not associated with increased rates of teen marijuana use, according to a statistical analysis of results from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
Passage Of State Medical Marijuana Laws Doesn’t Influence Youth Use
The enactment of statewide laws permitting the physician-authorized use of cannabis therapy has not stimulated any increase in marijuana use by young people, according to findings published in The International Journal on Drug Policy. Investigators concluded, “[W]hen within-state changes are properly considered and pre-MML prevalence is properly controlled, there is no evidence of a differential increase in past-month marijuana use in youth that can be attributed to state medical marijuana laws.”
Study: No Increase In Prevalence Of Cannabis Use Disorders
A report published last fall claiming that an estimated three in ten consumers of cannabis suffer from a ‘use disorder’ has been dismissed in a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry.
Federal Survey: Teen Marijuana Use Flat, Use of Alcohol and Cigarettes at Record Lows
Current use of marijuana by those between the ages of 12 to 17 has remained largely unchanged over the past decade, while young people’s self-reported consumption of alcohol and cigarettes has fallen to record lows, according to federal data compiled by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Study: Changes In State Marijuana Laws Not Associated With Greater Acceptance By Young People
Investigators from the University of Texas at Austin evaluated trends in young people’s attitudes toward cannabis and their use of the substance during the years 2002 to 2013 – a time period where 14 states enacted laws legalizing the medical use of the plant, and two states approved its recreational use by adults. “Our results may suggest that recent changes in public policy, including the decriminalization, medicalization, and legalization of marijuana in cities and states across the country, have not resulted in more use or greater approval of marijuana use among younger adolescents,” the study’s lead investigator said.
With Liberalized Laws, Young Adult Marijuana Use Plummets
According to polling data released this week by Gallup, 38% of Americans admit to having smoked marijuana in their lives. This rate remains relatively unchanged from Gallup’s previous surveys on this question. 34% responded in the affirmative when asked in 1999 and 33% in 1985. What is significant about this data is that, while total use had risen very slightly, use among 18-29 year olds has fallen 20% since 1985. In 1985, 56% of 18-29 year olds admitted to having tried marijuana, which dropped to 46% in 1999 and is […]
Study: Medical Marijuana Legalization Is Not Accompanied By Increases In Teen Cannabis Use
[Editor’s note: This post is excerpted from this week’s forthcoming NORML weekly media advisory. To have NORML’s news alerts and legislative advisories delivered straight to your in-box, sign up here.] The legalization of cannabis for therapeutic purposes is not associated with increases in the use of marijuana or other illicit substances among adolescents, according to discussion paper commissioned by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Germany. Economists from Montana State University, the University of Oregon, and the University of Colorado, Denver examined the relationship between state medical […]
It’s Time for Obama to Have His “Marijuana Moment”
The internet was ablaze yesterday with talk of President Obama’s youthful pot use. Which is odd, considering the only thing atypical about Obama’s high school years is how common and relatable they seem. Recent polling has shown support for marijuana legalization growing exponentially. Just this month, 56% of people responded in favor of legalization in a survey from Rasmussen Reports, with only 36% opposed. This is just the latest in a continuing trend of polling data demonstrating majority support for regulating cannabis. In October 2011, a Gallup poll had 50% […]