A new survey released on Monday showed that the number of young individuals who use marijuana has increased since cannabis usage has been allowed in a large portion of the United States, including New York.
The Gallup Poll study indicated that 26% of 18- to 29-year-olds consume marijuana, up from 17% in 2015. This age group includes older members of Generation Z and younger Millennials.
This is more than double the percentage of young individuals who smoked cigarettes in 2003, which fell from 35% to 25% to 12% over the past decade, according to a Gallup research.
According to Gallup’s analysis, “public health authorities would be cheered by the sharp reduction in cigarette smoking over the previous two decades, a trend mostly driven by plummeting smoking rates among young adults.”
“However, more and more young adults are smoking marijuana and vaping, maybe because its use is now legal in a growing number of states. Vaping and marijuana use are more prevalent among young adults than conventional cigarette smoking.
Twenty-one states have now legalized cannabis for recreational use, including a number of East and West Coast population centers.
Other states, like Florida and Pennsylvania, have authorized medical cannabis.
The Gallup analysis supports a recent study published in the journal Addictive Behaviors by Temple University Researchers.
Following recreational legalization, the prevalence of past-month cannabis use among adolescents and young adults increased, according to the study.
The researchers warned of a rise in untreated cases of cannabis addiction or “cannabis use disorder.”
“Among young adults, a correlation between increased cannabis usage and decreased CUD treatment admissions developed,” the report stated.
Opponents of marijuana legalization assert that their predictions have come true.
Kevin Sabet, the president of the organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana, stated that the legalizing and commercialization of marijuana pose a threat to undo decades’ worth of public health improvements due to a drop in marijuana use.
We also cannot ignore the reality that young people are beginning to use new forms of today’s super-potent marijuana, such as vapes and concentrates, which are connected to substantial mental health risks and greater addiction rates.
New York, which just last week handed the first set of 28 cannabis shop licenses, is already contending with a flourishing unlicensed and unregulated black market in which bodegas and other head shops openly sell marijuana and cannabis candies.
According to Gallup, some adolescent smokers have transitioned to vaping or less hazardous e-cigarettes.
About 7% of U.S. adults reported vaping or using electronic cigarettes over the prior week.
However, vaping is significantly more prevalent among young adults; 19% of 18- to 29-year-olds vape. Nicotine-based e-cigarette use was substantially less prevalent among older age groups.
Overall, 27% of American adults consume marijuana, cigarettes, or electronic cigarettes.
However, 40% of young individuals use at least one of the three, primarily cannabis and vaporizers.
»Marijuana use climbs among young individuals as more states legalize cannabis«