Those wedded to the status quo of cannabis criminalisation have long warned that legalising the market will result in increased adolescent use. But 10 years following the first US states’ decisions to legalise and regulate adult-use cannabis sales, data conclusively shows that this fear was unfounded. Federal researchers released a pair of surveys confirming that teen use has declined sharply over the last decade — during the same time which nearly half of all US states moved to legalise.
According to data provided by US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the percentage of those 12 to 17 who reported having ever tried cannabis fell 18% from 2014 to 2023. Those reporting having consumed cannabis during the last year fell by 15% and the number of teens reporting current use fell by 19%. Data provided by the Youth Risk Behavioral Survey finds the percentage of high schoolers nationally who identify as current consumers fell by 26% between 2013 and 2023.
In short, states’ real-world experience with legalisation proves that these policies can be implemented in a manner that provides regulated access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse. Ultimately, common sense regulations allowing for the legal, licensed commercial production and sale of cannabis best address adult consumers’ demand while keeping products largely out of the hands of young people. By contrast, the continued criminalisation of cannabis only compounds the public safety risks that the unregulated marketplace poses to young people and others.
from an Op-Ed by Paul Armentano, Deputy Director, NORML
