Teenagers may be more likely to use marijuana after legal for adult recreational use

Teenagers may be more likely to use marijuana after legal for adult recreational use

PISCATAWAY, NJ – Teenagers living in California may be more likely to use marijuana since adult recreational marijuana use was legalized in 2016, according to a new report in the Journal of Alcohol and Drug Studies.

“The similar rise in marijuana use among California teens after legalized recreational marijuana for adult use in 2016 is surprising given the steady downward trend in marijuana use in years before it was legalized,” said principal investigator Mallie J. Paschall, Ph.D., senior scientist at the Pacific Institute’s Prevention Research Center for Research and Evaluation in Berkeley, California.

Paschall and colleagues analyzed data from more than three million 7th, 9th, and 11th million craftsmen who participated in the California Healthy Kids Survey from 2010-2011 through the 2018-2019 school years. The teens provided information about the level, gender, race, ethnicity and life and marijuana use of the past 30 days. The question of marijuana use was updated in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 studies to include the words “smoke, vape, eat, or drink,” reflecting the wide variety of marijuana products that available now.

The researchers saw a significant increase in the frequency of lifetime and over-30-day marijuana use among almost all demographic groups from 2017-2018 to 2018-2019 school year, following the use of adult recreational use. legalization: an 18% increase in the likelihood of living. use and a 23% increase in pre-30-day use. These numbers may reflect more use of vaping products, and the overall increase was even more likely among those in demographic groups with historically lower levels of marijuana use.

“I was surprised to see a relatively larger increase in the frequency of marijuana use among younger adolescents (7th artisans) compared to 9th and 11th-year-old, among women versus male, female among non-Hispanic youth versus Hispanic youth, and among Whites against youth in others. ethnic groups, “Paschall said.” In other words, there was a greater increase in the frequency of marijuana use after legalized recreational marijuana among youth in ‘low-risk’ groups, which is a cause for concern. “

Paschall says he can only speculate on the cause, but that the larger increases in those low-risk groups could be attributed to marijuana use becoming more common as a result of law, coupled with a larger overall reduction in marijuana use among young people historically ‘high-risk’ groups during the study period.

The study also identified a greater increase in the frequency of 30-day marijuana use yesterday among older adolescents, males, African American and Asian teens who were regular users. There was a significant increase in the frequency of marijuana use among teens in 2018-19, which may reflect a national increase in the use of vaping substances.

“The legalization of recreational marijuana may be contributing to an increase in marijuana use among teens in California, but we need to do more research to confirm this,” Paschall said. “We also need to take a closer look. take place at a local level, as there are many differences in marijuana policies in communities across California and the United States. We also need to find out more about how teenagers get marijuana and what forms of marijuana they use, with so many cannabis products available. “

The researchers suggest that recreational marijuana legislation could increase teens ’access to marijuana and that more and more non-smoking products such as edibles may also be attractive.

“I am interested in whether the legalization of recreational marijuana for adult use can affect adolescent use, perhaps by changing norms regarding the appropriateness of marijuana use, harm to marijuana use, or access to adolescent marijuana, said Paschall.

Paschall and his colleagues also write that states and communities that have used and sold adult recreational marijuana could benefit from the implementation of both tighter controls on adolescent marijuana access and evidence-based prevention programs.

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Le Kimberly Flynn

Paschall, MJ, García-Ramírez, G., & Grube, JW (2021). Depletion and recreational marijuana addiction among California teens: Results from a state study. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Studies, 82, 103-111. doi: 10.15288 / jsad.2021.82.103

To arrange an interview with Mallie J. Paschall, contact him at 510-883-5753 or [email protected].

The Journal of Alcohol and Drug Studies (jsad.com) published by the Center for Alcohol & Substance Use Studies (alcoholstudies.rutgers.edu) at Rutgers, New Jersey State University. It is the oldest journal related to published material in the United States.

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