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Cannabis legalization does not produce significant increases in youth cannabis use

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Cannabis legalization does not produce significant increases in youth cannabis use

Partially Confirmed recorded as “Largely Supported by US Surveys” Chasing the Scream

Monitoring the Future surveys (2012-2024): youth cannabis use in recreational cannabis states has not significantly increased post-legalization; in some age groups (8th grade), slight decreases. The SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows similar patterns nationally. The fear that legalization normalizes cannabis for youth, the primary argument against medical cannabis access in the 1990s, has not been borne out in national survey averages so far, though studies differ and effects on heavy use and potency are still being studied.