Legalization Reduces the Appeal of Cannabis to Teenagers

Legalization Reduces Teen Cannabis Appeal – Is it really that surprising?

teens smoke less pot

One of the major issues that proponents of prohibition always tout is the “dangers of youth consumption”. According to their rhetoric – one of the primary reasons why cannabis needs to remain illegal is because legalizing it would send “the wrong message to the kids”.

However – throughout the entire campaign to keep drugs out of the hands of kids, it always seemed to find its way back into their lives. Except – a new study from Denver looked at a small group of kids and surveyed them in accordance to their cannabis use [or the lack thereof].

For the most part – the efforts of the new approach to drug education implemented by Colorado seems to be effective. 81% of those surveyed said that they are not cannabis smokers. Compared to the previous year – this is an increase towards the positive.

Those that do admit to consuming cannabis on a more regular basis – found that their monthly averages declined by about 3% compared to the previous years.

Depending on which side of the isle you find yourself on, this news is either good or bad. For cannabis activists – it shows us that even though there is a marginal increase in efficiency in drug education – it’s a positive sign.

For those against cannabis, they will focus on those who are smoking weed – saying, “See – Legalization didn’t stop kids from smoking pot!”

Of which any legalization activist would reply – “Neither did prohibition!”

Depending on which side you’re arguing – you’ll find enough reasons to support your point of view. But I ask – isn’t it obvious that once legal, kids would lose their appeal for cannabis?

Why do kids steer away from cannabis once legal?

Eventually – when cannabis is ‘as legal’ as alcohol – you would expect to see similar use rates among teens. In other words, irrespective of whether cannabis or alcohol is legal/illegal – there will always be certain teens who indulge.

Chalk it up to experimentation, lack of identity, moon brain – whatever reason you provide, the fact of the matter is that “some teenagers will consume drugs irrespective of what we do within the legal sphere”. I bolded the text specifically because this is one point that politicians simply don’t seem to understand.

However, in other countries – when they stopped using fear tactics to deter kids from drug use and rather informed them of what could happen if they consume certain substances while their brains are still developing – found that kids seemed to respond. Who would have thought simply being honest could do so much?

In Colorado – while the trends have been slightly slower than in countries such as Portugal – there has been a downtick in terms of teens consuming cannabis.

Why is this?

Firstly – we’ll congratulate Colorado for using an “information-based approach” to educating the kids in the state. This can only be done with the very same tax dollars obtained from the cannabis industry.

But I personally believe there is another reason why kids are not finding cannabis “too cool” these days.

Whatever my parents are – I AM NOT!

Another thing that consistently evades the understanding of lawmakers is that teenagers rebel because they are searching for a sense of identity. When your parents are smoking pot – you might be curious, but it won’t be anything that “shocks” their parents.

Kids need to shock their parents. They need to establish that “I AM NOT YOU” by rebelling against their value/morals system.

With the parents of today’s teenagers being between 40-50 years old, we can assume that a large portion of these folk smoke weed. This means that “mom and dad” smoke weed – they also probably “smoke” cigarettes [if they smoke at all].

Kids these days don’t smoke cigarettes – they Juul.

They don’t smoke weed – they probably do some other crazy ass shit invented by the Chinese and experimented on by US consumers.

The point is – whatever their parents do or say are “okay” immediately becomes taboo within their world. At least, until they get through the hormone-charged stage of their life known as adolescents.

With cannabis legal – kids are not finding it as a “rebellious act” in the least. Hell, it’s like abusing “Aspirin” – it’s possible, but why would you?

It’s a Generational Thing

The parents of the teenagers of today, were the teenagers of the hippies and grew to go against the counter-culture. In other words – closer to the established culture. These were the parents of today’s parents or the grandparents to the children of today.

However, the parents of today swung back towards liberalism – however, with a more post-modern vibe to it. We re-lived a small Woodstock in the early 2000s – anybody doing drugs back then would tell you the same.

And now – what can we expect to happen with the youth of today. The children of the neo-cyber-hippies who helped birth the world they are so dependent on.

The dangers of the kids these days will not lie in the substances they can take on the streets – but the content they can consume right on their phones. Their addictions won’t be ones of the physical body – but emotional addictions to pretty looking code.