Prohibitionists thought that marijuana legalization would protect the kids and society as a whole.
They believed that ‘normalizing’ weed through legalization would make the drug seem harmless and acceptable to consume, even for children at such a young age. Their narrow views caused them to think that as soon as the law stopped treating pot as a dangerous drug, then so would kids.
Earlier uptake, frequent use, and experimentation were among the many unfounded fears of prohibitionists when it came to exposure to children.
However, there have been many studies showing that cannabis could actually help protect society as a whole.
Now, a new study also points to an unexpected benefit of marijuana legalization in the United States.
Fewer Disciplinary Incidents In School After Cannabis Legalization
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, together with Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, public schools in Massachusetts saw a downward trend in marijuana-related disciplinary issues. After Massachusetts legalized recreational cannabis, consumption of the drug among teens dropped 25%, based on data from the Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
They found “statistically significant decreases in CDIs [cannabis-related disciplinary incidents] after both medical and recreational legalization”, they said. The patterns also displayed a reversal from trends in the previous years, since CDI’s were seen to increase.
“As state cannabis legalization policies expanded, the cannabis-related disciplinary incident rate per 1,000 students decreased,” said the authors. They added that their findings were suggestive “that more permissive cannabis policies [for adults] are not associated with a long-term risk for increased CDIs among youth,” they said.
These findings are significant because they challenge some of the most controversial stigmas around cannabis legalization: that improved access for adults would lead to misuse and abuse among the youth, prompting trouble in schools.
But the data suggest the opposite: when we regulate and monitor marijuana, the harms associated with youth use actually drop. Policy is thus grounded in evidence rather than assumptions, reinforcing the importance of healthy legalization frameworks that prioritize education, public health, and prevention over fear-mongering and punishment.
Fewer Teenagers Consume Weed
Contrary to widespread fears, legalizing weed is actually linked to a marked decline in teenage consumption.
This result reflects how effective regulation is in shaping behavior, compared to prohibition. Once we remove cannabis from the illicit drug market and into a regulated system, it no longer has the appeal of forbidden drugs, which usually tempt teenagers.
In one study in particular, a group of researchers from Florida Atlantic University analyzed cannabis consumption data for more than 88,000 high school students from 2011 through 2021. The data was sourced from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They found that there was a drop in cannabis consumption among high school teenagers, which was part of a larger pattern found, where overall substance abuse for the same period also dropped off. According to the researchers, “The significant decreases observed in both the ‘ever used marijuana’ and ‘currently use marijuana’ categories highlight a promising reduction in adolescent marijuana use, with usage dropping to approximately 70 percent of the levels recorded in 2011. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents who tried marijuana before age 13 decreased to about 60 percent in 2011.”
Again, here we can see the benefits of legalizing cannabis especially in terms of reduced consumption. Since early initiation among youth is strongly linked to more health risks later in life, it’s becoming clear that if we really want kids not to experiment with pot at such a young age, legalization is key.
Despite Legalization, Youth Use Isn’t Increasing
Even though cannabis is more accessible than ever thanks to legalization efforts throughout the last decade, youth consumption hasn’t increased. In fact, consumption rates among adolescents have either declined or remained stable in certain areas, which challenges assumptions about the effects of cannabis legalization.
In one analysis of federal data, where more than half a million Americans participated, researchers said that while young and old adults reported an increase in cannabis use, the same trends weren’t observed among teens and youth.
There are many factors that come into play.
Aside from cannabis no longer having the “forbidden fruit” effect, legalization offers a reframe where cannabis is seen as a regulated product for adults. This just isn’t appealing to teenagers anymore.
Additionally, there are tighter age controls in a regulated market. It makes it harder for underage youth to access cannabis products because of ID checks. There is strong data out there from multiple organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as surveys, including Monitoring The Future, which reliably show the same patterns: youth use simply declines after legalization.
Other reasons that may contribute to this include patterns that show the youth’s substance preferences are now changing: they are more focused on fitness and mental health. Additionally, regulation of weed restricts the marketing exposure.
CONCLUSION
Youth cannabis use is strongly influenced by education, access, social norms, and regulation instead of just the substance’s legal status. Legalization, together with a robust public health policy, is seen to be more effective in reducing the risk factors that prompted adolescent experimentation.
The reality forces us to take a harder look at drug policy. Protecting the youth doesn’t happen through criminalization or fear-based narratives. We should instead focus on honest education, regulation, and evidence-based policies. The bottom line is clear: legalization does not fuel youth cannabis use; instead, it helps to curb it. Let’s choose the outcome that promotes safer schools, healthy communities, and reduced cannabis exposure for kids.
MARIJUANA IN SCHOOLS, READ ON...
