The number of teenstokingsince recreational marijuana use waslegalizedfor people 21 and older in Washington state six years ago has go down significantly , accord to new inquiry published in the journalJama Pediatrics .
To study the effects legalization has had on minor substance abuser , researchers analyzed data from theWashington Healthy Youth Surveys – an anonymous , schooltime - base sketch of eighth , 10th , and 12th graders – from 2010 to 2012 and then again between 2014 and 2016 . They equate this data against a nationwide representativeMonitoring the Futuresurvey to ascertain whether there were any differences from other states without legalized unpaid marihuana . The chief departure in usage was observed among tenth graders ( teens around 15 and 16 year old ) , whose marijuana enjoyment pass up from almost 20 percent to less than 18 per centum in that prison term physical body . Among 8th grader , marijuana use light from nearly 10 percent to just over 7 percent , while no alteration was observe in twelfth grader , or teen typically around 17 and 18 years honest-to-goodness .
Meanwhile , a studypublishedjust a few days earlier retrieve that , in general , marijuana consumption in Washington state is about double as large as previously estimated . According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention , marijuana is the most usually used illegal drug in the US , with an count on 22 million users every calendar month . Research paint a picture that about 1 in 10 users will become addicted . For those who begin using before 18 , that act bound to 1 in 6 .
While marijuana has manyscience - back health benefitswhen used for medicative purposes , research has shown that using it while the encephalon is still undergoing crucial ontogeny and growth during teen year can cause problems with learning , emotional well - being , and health . TheAmerican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrynotes side effects can have impacts on respiratory health and underlie genial wellness precondition such as schizophrenia , depression , and anxiousness . ( They also write that parent distrust their children may be using marijuana should count for novel words and phrase like ‘ sparking up , ’ ‘ 420 , ’ ‘ dabbing , ’ and ‘ shatter . ’ ” )
Though the finding are promising , the research worker note that there is not enough grounds to determine the long - term result of legitimation on those using marijuana under 18 .
" These findings do not provide a final answer about how legitimation ultimately may act upon youth marijuana usage , " said study co - author Rosalie Liccardo Pacula in astatement . " A variety of factor may influence the behavior of adolescents and those factors are likely to influence behaviors in unlike way over time . ”
The author note that the connection between legalization and nonaged use is a “ complex ” one , and there is still much to be understood before jump to ending .
“ It is too soon to know the long - term influence that hemp legalisation will have on the prevalence of its use by youths , ” wrote the author , close that future studies are necessitate for better understand how availability and photograph could bear upon young user .
