Study: Pot use among Colorado teens did not differ post-legalization

DENVER – The legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado appears to have had little effect on usage among teens, according to a recently-released study.

The study, published Tuesday on the website of the Journal of the American Medical Association, looked at both Washington and Colorado teens during the historical shift in marijuana policy in the two states.

Authors of the study took national data and compared it with the findings in Colorado and Washington. They determined that teen usage in Colorado has remained flat before and after the 2012 passage of Amendment 64.

However, it appears that legalization of marijuana has had a bigger impact on Washington teens. The study found use among eighth and 10th grade students was up 2 to 4 percent.

It’s not clear why the states differ on usage. The authors told Denver7 partner the Denver Post that they theorize that the established medical marijuana industry in Colorado has had an impact.

According to previous studies, marijuana use among Colorado teens is higher than the national average. This number began to spike soon after 2009, when medical marijuana became legal in the state.