The report finds that legalization of cannabis has not increased youth use

On March 16, CPEAR released a policy paper titled “Addressing Youth and Cannabis: Solutions to Address and Prevent Youth Abuse Through a Federal Regulatory System,” which examines data on how youth cannabis use has changed since the beginning of the Legalization has not increased. The report was also presented during CPEAR’s March 17 roundtable event, which was attended by Senator John Hickenlooper, Greg Walden, co-chair of CPEAR, and others.

CPEAR Executive Director Andrew Freedman said in a press release that this report will serve as a guide to community youth prevention and an inspiration for lawmakers to enact prevention legislation. “Over 100 million Americans live in a state with legalized adult-use cannabis — but what we should consider is what that means for our nation’s youth,” Freedman said. “This study demonstrates how preventing youth cannabis use requires local communities and advocacy groups to be at the forefront of this effort. It also outlines the need for congressional action to build a data-based federal cannabis framework, correct the current patchwork of cannabis laws, and take preventive action to protect America’s youth from cannabis abuse.”

One of the main themes explored by the report is that youth use “is either declining or flat in regulated markets”. When reviewing the data on use by 8th, 10th and 12th graders, the results were fairly stable. “Government legalization of cannabis has not had an impact on the prevalence of cannabis use among youth, on average,” the report states. “In other words, states with medical and/or adult use laws do not see larger increases in youth use compared to states where use remains illegal.” A chart from Monitoring the Future shows a dramatic drop in use among high school students 12th grade between 1975 and the 1990s (8th and 10th grade data not collected at this time). All three classes dropped in 2020, most likely due to lack of availability or access to cannabis during the pandemic.

The report also shares that a combination of early prevention methods can continue to lead to declines in youth use, and lists out-of-school or school-based prevention programs, counseling opportunities, community initiatives, and digital interventions. “The most successful public education campaign to date is the ‘Good to Know’ program, which originated in Colorado and provides evidence-based non-judgemental educational statements on the laws and potential health effects of cannabis use,” the report said. “A research study found that the campaign not only increased awareness, but also significantly increased perceptions of risks associated with CUD, driving under the influence of cannabis, and negative cognitive outcomes associated with cannabis use.” It also suggests that a Expanding youth-specific legislation would affect youth consumption rates, particularly if more attention was paid to marketing and advertising.

Finally, the report also found that access to cannabis for youth would also decrease if illicit cannabis sales were targeted. “The legal cannabis market is increasing the availability of highly potent products that have been linked to an increased risk of psychosis and CUD for some. However, unlike the tobacco and alcohol industries, there remains a pervasive illicit cannabis market that can easily provide youth access to cannabis,” the report states. “Cannabis purchased illegally is more likely to contain contaminants, including other illegal substances, compared to products available on a regulated market. Therefore, increased vigilance in the legal sale of high-potency products may best offset reducing the risks of cannabis-related harm in adolescents.”

CPEAR launched March 11, 2021 and has received member support from tobacco and alcohol companies such as Altria Client Services, Constellation Brands, Inc., Molson Coors Beverage Company. Many other studies have found the same observations regarding adolescent cannabis use, such as: B. one published in the journal Substance Abuse in March 2021, or another published in the American Journal of Public Health in August 2020.