A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, found that the legalization of recreational marijuana in various U.S. states has increased the Increased likelihood of cannabis use was reported. young people.
Medical marijuana use is legal in 38 states, and 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana use for people 21 and older. Previous meta-analytic studies have shown that the legalization of cannabis for medical use does not have a significant impact on the prevalence of cannabis use among young people. However, results regarding the impact of recreational cannabis laws were inconclusive due to the small number of states with recreational cannabis laws included in previous meta-analyses. As more states legalize recreational cannabis, it has become essential to assess the impact of legalization on youth cannabis use. Studying the effects of legalizing cannabis use could provide the basis for devising preventive measures aimed at reducing the risks associated with cannabis use on the developing brains of U.S. adolescents and young adults. There is.
This meta-analytic review, led by Dr. Aditya Pawar, identified 4,604 citations, of which the authors systematically identified 30 studies that provided quantitative data demonstrating the effects of cannabis legalization on adolescents and young adults. reviewed and meta-analyzed. Included studies primarily utilized large datasets from national surveys and compared past-month cannabis use between states with and without cannabis legalization. The authors found that recreational cannabis legalization was associated with a significant increase in cannabis use, and the effect was more pronounced among young adults. Restricting the analysis to more recent studies showed a small but significant increase in cannabis use among adolescents as well.
Discussing the results of this meta-analysis, Dr. Pawar said, “Cannabis use, especially frequent and potent cannabis use, can have profound effects on adolescent neurodevelopment, and early use may “Increasing the likelihood of addictive use. Increased trend toward legalization.” Based on evidence showing that cannabis use is on the rise among youth, the public and policy makers are encouraging public education and other initiatives to potentially reduce the perceived risk of harm that leads to increased cannabis use. Preventive measures need to be taken, such as devising appropriate regulations by law. The potency and availability of cannabis and the increasing availability of evidence-based early intervention. ”
The authors concluded that this meta-analysis highlights the need to further assess the benefits and harms that cannabis legalization may have on U.S. youth, given the increase in youth cannabis use. I am.
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Reference magazines:
Pawar, AKS, et al. (2024). Systematic review and meta-analysis: Medical and recreational cannabis laws and cannabis use among youth in the United States. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2024.02.016.
