Policy Strategies to Reduce Youth Recreational Marijuana Use

The emerging public discourse on state legalization of marijuana for recreational use in the US: Analysis of news media coverage, 2010–2014

“…Only 20% of news stories mentioned any public health research evidence related to recreational marijuana policy. Prior research has shown that the most frequently mentioned regulation in the news media content studied-licensing of growers, processors, and retailors-is an important option for limiting youth marijuana access, largely because license revocation provides a mechanism for enforcement of prohibition of sales to youth (Saloner et al, 2015;Pacula et al, 2014). However, other evidence-informed regulations designed to restrict youth access (Saloner et al, 2015;Pacula et al, 2014) were rarely mentioned: marketing restrictions, limits on allowable locations of recreational marijuana retailors (e.g.…”

“…While still illegal under federal law, as of 2016 20 states have passed laws ending or reducing criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana (NORML, 2016), 23 states and the District of Columbia (DC) have legalized marijuana for medical use (Wilkinson et al, 2016), and four states (AK, CO, OR, WA) and DC have legalized marijuana for recreational use by adults aged 21 or older. With the exception of the DC policy, which only allows home cultivation and private consumption of small amounts of marijuana, recreational marijuana legalization at the state level involves the development of regulated retail markets (Saloner et al, 2015). The US Department of Justice has stated that it is unlikely to enforce federal marijuana laws in states with legal markets, so long as states implement regulations that achieve several goals, including preventing marijuana distribution to youth, avoiding marijuana-impaired driving, and preventing violence related to marijuana cultivation and sales (Cole, 2013).…”

“…The best available research, which is limited, suggests that key public health concerns of legal recreational marijuana relate to its effects on youth health and educational attainment, cannabis use disorder, and marijuana-impaired driving (Wilkinson et al, 2016). Regulation and enforcement could prevent or mitigate these adverse public health outcomes (Saloner et al, 2015;Pacula et al, 2014;Ammerman et al, 2015), but states are faced with uncertainty regarding whether and how regulatory options can be used to achieve public health goals.…”

“I Use Weed for My ADHD”: A Qualitative Analysis of Online Forum Discussions on Cannabis Use and ADHD

“…It is particularly relevant to address factors that may influence perceptions about the effects of cannabis on ADHD given that substance use perceptions can influence use [ 26 , 27 ] and, as noted above, cannabis has adverse effects, especially for at-risk populations such as those with ADHD. As legalized recreational use among adults could significantly increase access to cannabis among youth and is a growing concern for pediatric health in the US [ 28 ], identifying factors that may impact perceptions promoting cannabis use is a timely issue that is likely to become increasingly important.…”

Impacts of Medical Marijuana Laws on Young Americans Across the Developmental Spectrum

“…Medical marijuana producers and retailers are promoting new, more potent products such as oils often used as inhalants with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations ranging from 40 to 70 percent (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2016). They are also developing new products that appeal to youth, such as packaged edibles and candies, that may increase the hazard of overdose due to their relatively slow rates of absorption and perceived intoxication (Krupnick 2016;Richter and Levy 2014;Saloner et al 2015). These products could increase the risk of overdose in young people, who tend to be less experienced users with low tolerance levels.…”