Years ago, using marijuana in whatever reason is considered illegal in different countries, especially in the U.S. But ever since the medical field learned about its benefits and how it can help a lot of people especially those who are suffering from epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Dravet syndrome, the debate for its legalization fired up. Now, after several years of deliberation, some countries and states have already embraced the use of these natural drugs legally.
One of the reasons why the legalization of marijuana created dispute among people is the danger it could pose to people who are using and about to use the drug. Marijuana, no matter the benefits are, can still cause addiction, which can be very risky, especially to teens. Furthermore, with the legalization of the drug, people are expecting easier access to marijuana dependents without getting jailed because of it.
But a recent statistic suggests the opposite of what most people have expected to happen. According to a recent survey posted in BBC, the number of teens who are using marijuana has decreased in places where the drug has been legalized for recreational purposes.
In the US, 33 states have already legalized the use of marijuana just for medicinal purposes alone. Among these states were 10 who have legalized the drug for recreational purposes though it is still illegal for those who are less than 18 years old.
In the recent survey conducted, which was published in the medical journal JAMA Paediatrics, the researchers dig deep into the information of about 1.4 million high school students between 1993 and 2017 from the places where cannabis was already legalized for recreational purposes. At the end of the research, experts found out that though marijuana sales have indeed increased, due to its demand in the medical field, teens aren't that excited to purchase the drug anymore.
There are two possible reasons why the numbers are decreasing, according to the experts behind the study. These reasons include the difficulty of availing and purchasing the drug from licensed dispensaries and the drug's price increase. Though considered legal in most states, purchasing this drug still needs confirmation that the buyer is already at the right age to purchase. And this has been very helpful in limiting those that are too young for it, according to The Times.
Since some of the states have already legalized cannabis recently, Dr. Mark Anderson, the lead author of the study, claims there's still a need to study more about the matter. They assure people they will continue to gather more data and track the information in the future.
