Originally published at: Pot legalization not associated with increases in teen use | Boing Boing
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Hurray, a scientifically backed argument to persuade people with opposing views.
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we need to make it illegal again by like yesterday. so it will be cool again.
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Reefer Madness!
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Now that all the squares are doing it, it probably makes it less cool for kids to do it.
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It’s a 16% decline in frequency of use among those teens who use it, so I don’t think it’s a case of “they don’t think it’s cool now that it’s legal”—they’re still using weed, just less often
My hypothesis is that it has something to do with the quality and cost of legal weed: when you’ve got dank weed that’ll keep you high longer, and costs $70 an eighth, you’re gonna smoke less frequently.
ETA: Also, edibles last waaaaaay longer than smoked weed, and are consumed much less frequently as a result. Legalization has definitely increased the availability of edibles, so I think it’s reasonable to think they’re playing a role in the decrease in frequency of use
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Considering here in the Netherlands it is mostly tourists doing weed… 
Why this is is simple too: What is legal is easy to regulate and no sensible legal pot reseller is going to risk their license for a spotty youth. Anyway, I prefer alcohol which is at least a hard drug.
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Top shelf weed in eastern Washington is ~$40 an eighth. Compared to what I paid in high school and into college, prices are actually lower.
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I can’t say much about teens, but many of the Twitch streamers I watch are open about their love of weed. Some even partake on camera. (I’d guess many of them are in their 20s or 30s, though the one who’s two years older than me also tokes.)
I’ve got nothing against it; I tried it when I was younger, in my 20s. It was nice, but even though it’s decriminalized in my state, I don’t think I want to get into it again. It’s simpler (and cheaper) to grab a wine cooler or a shot of vodka if I want to relax.
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Wow, that’s quite affordable. I was going by some prices I recall seeing in Illinois (the closest legal weed state near me at the moment), plus an additional fee to compensate a non-minor for acquiring it for the hypothetical teens.
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Hopefully the places that have legalised weed will use some of the tax revenue to combat this tragedy. Jello Biafra recordings in school libraries, PSAs featuring Kind Bud the friendly cola, that sort of thing.
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That was exactly my main concern with legalization - that it would make it harder for teenagers to get and/or reduce their use of it.
Since every single alternative to weed, legal or illegal, is more dangerous than weed, that’s not the unalloyed good that legalization optimists often portray it as.
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I’m decades away from being a teen but it’s increased my use. 
Well, that and COVID.
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Depends on where you are. In mass the base prices are lower than what we used to pay, but add taxes and travel to the dispo and it ends up being ~20% more expensive.
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That’s what I paid for throughout the 90’s in Ellensburg.
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People who advocate abstinence only policies don’t know any teens or remember what it was like. Teens are smart if you give them the truth and trust.
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Maybe teens are smoking all they possibly can, so an increase just isn’t possible.
One can hope.
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Yah, I smoked my share freshman year of college and my grades declined quite a bit. I’ve had it a few times since, but not in 20 years. It’s fine, but it’s just not really my jam.
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For some reason I never had a tolerance for weed. It always knocked me on my behind way too quickly.
I don’t know if it was because weed was so strong when I was in college (early 90’s) or just my body just couldn’t handle it.
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