Medical marijuana does not increase teen drug use

Macgregor Campbell, consultant

(Image: David Young-Wolff/Getty Images)

Teens in the US are smoking more pot, but don't blame medical marijuana. A recent survey of risky behaviour in teens indicates that while marijuana use has risen in recent years, the increase is not due to the drug's legalisation for medical purposes.

Marijuana use is currently legal?for medicinal purposes?in 17 US states, but the federal government still regards the drug as an illegal substance. Federal officials have recently increased efforts?to shut down legal marijuana dispensaries deemed to be too close to schools and universities.

A team of three economists led by Daniel Rees?of the University of Colorado at Denver analysed data from the US Centers for Disease Control's Youth Risk Behavior Survey to find out whether legalisation of medical marijuana leads to increased drug use in teens.

The survey tracks a number of behaviours, including self-reported marijuana use. Rees and colleagues sifted through data for the years 1993-2009, looking at outcomes such as marijuana use at school, frequent marijuana use, and the use of other substances, including alcohol and cocaine.

The team found that while teen marijuana use has risen since 2005, the increase was not correlated in a statistically significant way with whether or not the state that teens resided in had legalised the drug. "There is anecdotal evidence that medical marijuana is finding its way into the hands of teenagers, but there's no statistical evidence that legalisation increases the probability of use," said Rees in an?online statement?from the University of Oregon.

A number of recent studies have added support to proponents' claims that cannabis and cannabis-based treatments are?safe and effective?for conditions ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to multiple sclerosis, but legalising medical marijuana has been a tough sell in US states this year. Ballot initiatives?have failed in 11 states?so far, and passed in just one. Seven more states are slated to decide what side of the fence they fall on later this year.

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