A new peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, co-authored by researchers from UC Irvine, UCLA, and the Public Health Institute’s Getting it Right from the Start, finds that frequent cannabis use among California 11th graders rose sharply after the adult-use cannabis retailers began opening in 2018.
While any past 30-day use leveled out, daily or near-daily use continued to increase, reversing a prior downward trend. The study shows more teens are using more frequently and more intensely — raising serious health risks for California youth.
“This study shows that legalization has changed not just whether teens use cannabis, but how they use it,” said Bethany Simard, Research Scientist at PHI’s GIRFTS and the study’s lead author. “We’re seeing more young people using more often — exactly the pattern linked to dependence and long-term health risks.”…