Marijuana Use Amongst Teens in Colorado Unchanged

Recreational marijuana has been legal in the state of Colorado for two years now. While legalization has created opportunity, jobs and a new marketplace, naysayers against marijuana legalization alleged that our state’s youth would become tainted by drug use and addiction.

The results for the first year of legalized marijuana are in and it’s good news! Marijuana use amongst teens in Colorado has not increased significantly. The youth of Colorado have not become hopeless stoners who are in a constant state of confusion or suffer from an endless case of the munchies. Washington State results mimic those of Colorado. Neither state has been riddled with teens who can’t tear themselves away from their bongs.

A federal survey released indicated that marijuana use amongst teens has not changed in 2014 in 48 states.  “Colorado’s rates are statistically the same between ’13 and ’14,” said Arthur Hughes, a statistician for the Washington D.C.-area Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s mission is to “reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities,” The Cannabist reports.

While Colorado ranks high in teen use of marijuana, legalization does not seem to have had any impact on teen use. In fact, a top doctor in Denver, Larry Wolk is on board with the survey results. “Colorado was within the range of being No. 1 even prior to legalization,” Wolk told The Cannabist. “We’ve always had a high use rate among youth and adults … It’s something we’ve had to contend with, whether or not marijuana is legal. So that’s not news. It’s easy to get misled by numbers if you don’t understand what’s behind those numbers.”

Read the full report from the Cannabist here.