Medical marijuana legalization does not lead to increased use of marijuana by teenagers.

Source:National Bureau of Economic Research

While at least a dozen state legislatures in the United States have recently considered bills to allow the consumption of marijuana for medicinal purposes, the federal government is intensifying its efforts to close medical marijuana dispensaries. Federal officials contend that the legalization of medical marijuana encourages teenagers to use marijuana and have targeted dispensaries operating within 1,000 feet of schools, parks and playgrounds.

Using data from the national and state Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 and the Treatment Episode Data Set, a new paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Marijuana Use by D. Mark Anderson, Benjamin Hansen, Daniel I. Rees estimates the relationship between medical marijuana laws and marijuana use.

The results are not consistent with the hypothesis that legalization leads to increased use of marijuana by teenagers.

Source

Medical marijuana legalization does not lead to increased use of marijuana by teenagers.