Large US study suggests teen marijuana use dropped following recreational legalization

In one of the biggest studies of its kind to date, researchers have found no evidence to suggest the legalization of marijuana results in an increase in youth use. In fact, the study points to a strange potential decrease in teen marijuana use following the implementation of recreational use laws.

As the wave of marijuana legalization continues to spread around the globe, scientists are continually tracking data from some of the earliest American states to implement these laws. The highly politicized debate over the effect of legalization includes everything from crime to healthcare, but one of the big unanswered questions regarding legalization is whether it increases adolescent and teen use.

This new study took its data from a biennial youth health survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Compiling survey data from 1993 to 2017, the final sample size included over 1.4 million high school students from across the United States. During the survey period 27 states instituted medical marijuana laws and seven states adopted recreational use laws. [Read more at New Atlas]