Having failed to find evidence that Prop 215 increased teen MJ use in CA, researchers are now alleging an increase in youth marijuana use following adoption of CA’s decriminalization bill in 2011.
Unfortunately, the CA AG stopped conducting its biennial surveys of student drug use, so it’s difficult to confirm these figures. If these claims are accurate, I suspect they reflect coincidental social trends rather than any specific changes in the law. The actual impact of CA’s decrim law was rather technical, as it didn’t change any fines or punishment, just whether the offense was recorded as an arrest or citation. -D.G.
Read more on youth usage in California
Read more about California’s marijuana laws
Sources of sound information about youth and drugs:
From Chocolate to Morphine by Andrew Weil
Safety First by Marsha Rosenbaum
