Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
States that legalized recreational marijuana use for adults were likelier to see teens partake as well, according to a study published in Addiction.
Why it matters: The findings add new evidence of a connection between legalizing adult use and a surge of use among kids.
- Marijuana can have adverse health effects on adolescents and affect brain development, according to the CDC.
Details: The study looked at usage data from nearly 22,000 people in California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine.
- Researchers also found evidence that adults were more likely to begin using marijuana compared to their counterparts in states where it is not legal, the study found.
What they're saying: "It's especially concerning that increased cannabis use occurs among young people because of the detrimental health effects associated with cannabis use at a young age," Yuyan Shi, study author with the University of California San Diego School of Public Health, said in a release.
Yes, but: It's an area still ripe for research. Previous studies, such as a 2020 analysis of some state-level data, found that cannabis use trends remained steady or even dropped in states where it was legalized.