A recent study in Addiction found that the rate of cannabis use disorder among 13-17-year-olds in Northern California who were enrolled in Kaiser Permanente Northern California increased by approximately 8% per year following California’s November 2016 vote to legalize recreational marijuana. Notably, the rate of CUD had been decreasing among this population by approximately 6% per year prior to the vote, suggesting that the vote reversed the decline. The authors stated that “changes in legal context, messaging and marketing, normative signaling, and product diversification could plausibly facilitate the gradual and sustained escalation in use intensity and subsequent CUD development.” As marijuana becomes further normalized and commercialized, more minors will experiment with and be harmed by this mind-altering drug.

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