Teen-Cannabis Use Down in US States With Medical Marijuana Laws
A newly updated analysis released today, co-authored by Dr. Mitch Earleywine, associate professor of psychology at the Albany campus of the State University of New York, shows that state medical cannabis laws have not increased teen use of the class C drug, despite fears that have been raised when such measures are considered as an argument in favour of legislation.
The use of cannabis amongst teenagers has consistently declined in states with medical marijuana laws, and generally more markedly than recorded national averages.
The report, based entirely on data from federal and state government funded drug use surveys, is available at http://www.mpp.org/teens .
In New York, medical marijuana legislation passed the state Assembly last year, and the issue awaits Senate action.
"Opponents of medical use of marijuana regularly argue that such laws 'send the wrong message to children,' but there is just no sign of that effect in the data," said Dr. Earleywine, a substance abuse researcher and author of the acclaimed book, "Understanding Marijuana" (Oxford University Press, 2002). "In every state for which there's data, teen marijuana use has gone down since the medical marijuana law was passed, often a much larger decline than nationally."
In California, which passed the first effective medical marijuana law in 1996, marijuana use has declined sharply among all age groups. Among ninth-graders, marijuana use in the past 30 days ("current use" as defined in the surveys) declined by 47 percent from 1995-96 to 2005-06, the latest survey results available.
A similar pattern is emerging in the states with newer medical marijuana laws. Vermont and Montana, whose medical marijuana laws were enacted in 2004, have seen declines in current marijuana use of 15 percent and 9 percent, respectively. In Rhode Island, whose medical marijuana law took effect in January 2006, current use declined 7 percent from 2005 to 2007. There are no before-and-after data available yet from New Mexico, whose medical marijuana law was passed last year. Overall, declines in teen marijuana use in the 11 medical marijuana states for which data are available have slightly exceeded the national trends.
With evidence coming in from all over the world, suggesting a liberal approach to drug policies is a workable solution to reducing drug user numbers, isn't it about time the UK followed suit, and worked out some real harm reduction measures?
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