New research ties legalization of pot to less teenage use

CHICAGO — New research suggests legalizing recreational marijuana use and possession for adults in some states may have slightly reduced teens’ odds of using pot.

One reason may be that it’s harder and costlier for teens to buy marijuana from licensed dispensaries than from dealers, said lead author Mark Anderson, a health economist at Montana State University.

The researchers analyzed national youth health and behavior surveys from 1993 through 2017 that included questions about marijuana use. Responses from 1.4 million high school students were included.

Thirty-three states have passed medical marijuana laws and 11, including Nevada, have legalized recreational use — generally for ages 21 and up, many during the study years. Researchers looked at changes nationwide, but not at individual states.

There was no change linked with medical marijuana legislation, but odds of teen use declined almost 10 percent after recreational marijuana laws were enacted.

Previous research has found no effect on teen use from medical marijuana laws and conflicting results from recreational marijuana laws. The new results echo a study showing a decline in teen use after sales of recreational pot began in 2014 in Washington state.

The results “should help to quell some concerns that use among teens will actually go up. This is an important piece when weighing the costs and benefits of legalization,” Anderson said.

Linda Richter, director of policy research and analysis at the nonprofit Center on Addiction, questioned the new findings. The center is a drug use prevention and treatment advocacy group.

Other studies have found that, in states where use is legal, fewer teens think it is risky or harmful than the national average, she said. And teens in those states still have access to marijuana.