by: maria loreto, the fresh toast
a new batch of data shows that despite cannabis earning its legal status in several u.s. states, young people aren’t exactly getting their hands on the stuff any easier.
this data adds to a growing body of evidence that indicates legal marijuana doesn’t make it more likely for teens to consume it.
cannabis use in teens and young adults is a serious concern,
one that has been correlated
with higher odds of developing a dependency on the drug and of developing mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and psychosis.
the data came from the youth risk behavior surveillance system and was submitted by high schoolers between the years 2009 and 2019.
the analysis
demonstrated that there was not a significant change or increase in the percentage of students who consumed
cannabis
within the past 30 days.
per the data, the year where teens reported their highest percentage of marijuana use was in 2011 before legal cannabis programs were approved in the u.s.
opponents of legal marijuana programs have cited cannabis use in teenagers and its side effects as a means of dissuading people who may be considering supporting legal cannabis. among the related beliefs is that legal marijuana could facilitate drug access for youths during a period when their brains are developing and, thus, could make them more susceptible to the drug.