Marijuana use and abuse rates decline among US teens

Study finds teen pot use decreased by 10% between 2002 and 2013, adding to growing body of data suggesting legalization is not dangerous for adolescents
The Guardian (UK)
Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Rates of adolescent marijuana use and abuse have declined across the US, according to a study that casts doubts on one of the central arguments against legalizing weed. Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis surveyed 216,852 teenagers from all 50 states and found that the number of adolescents with marijuana-related disorders dropped by 24% from 2002 to 2013. Overall teen pot use also decreased by 10%, despite the fact that more than a dozen states legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized the drug during that time. (See also: No, legal weed is not ‘dumbing down’ the nation’s teens)