Did the prevalence of teen marijuana use change in Colorado and Washington following legalization of recreational marijuana use in these states? Using data from the Monitoring the Future study, John Schulenberg, Patrick O’Malley and colleagues find that post-legalization use did not change among teens in Colorado, but that it rose among 8th and 10th graders (but not 12th graders) in Washington. Their study also offers insight into the reasons for this difference: The perceived harmfulness of marijuana use decreased among teens in Washington but remained unchanged in Colorado.

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