How can we reduce the harm caused by alcohol and marijuana among

middle and high school students through policy changes?

Lucas Allsopp

Senior Project Advisor: Rebecca Ruland

Abstract

Every year thousands of people die from substance use. Many of these people are adolescents
and young adults. Not only do some die but others fall into addiction and dependence. Marijuana
and alcohol are two of the most commonly used substances by youth and as such it is important
to reduce the harm from these substances to youth through policies of governments, schools, and
parents. This paper seeks to understand what policies are used by governments, schools, and
parents to reduce harm caused by alcohol and marijuana, and what can be changed about these
policies to further reduce harm. In the existing research there is evidence that substance use is
common among young adults, and older youth despite laws against youth use. Youth have
multiple avenues for access to alcohol and marijuana. The research also suggests that marijuana
can be legalized at least for medical use without increasing harm to youth. These conclusions
indicate that marijuana’s status as a schedule 1 substance does not make sense and creates
barriers for research that can be used to make more effective policy. Schools should pursue
strategies of dealing with substance use other than out of school suspensions that give students
an opportunity to use substances. More research into marijuana and its effects, as well as more
research into the effects of higher THC content forms of weed is necessary before it is legalized
for recreational use.

12th Grade Humanities

Animas High School
3 March 2024

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 Part I: Introduction

Marijauna and Alcohol use during youth is associated with multiple risks and harms.

Some of these include alcohol poisoning, disruption of proper development, addiction, and

driving under the influence. For years people have used different strategies and policies to try

and reduce substance use among youth. These can be policies of the home and school that punish

kids when they are caught with substances, as well as policies of the state that regulate who and

where alcohol can be sold. Over the course of American history there have been multiple laws

put in place that have banned or heavily regulated alcohol and marijuana because of the harms

they pose to the health of the public. Prohibition banned alcohol in the 1920s, however it did not

stop people from drinking and created a dangerous illegal market. Prohibition was later repealed

and overtime laws regulating alcohol in the legal market such as DUI laws have proven more

effective at reducing harm than full prohibition. In a world where access to these substances for

people under 21 is relatively easy, it begs the question of whether a high drinking age makes

sense and actually reduces the harm from these substances. Many parents allow and even provide

alcohol for their underage kids to try and reduce possible harm from use involved in substance

use, rather than being left in the dark about their kid’s use. Since California set the precedent in

the 90s by legalizing medical marijuana many states have followed suit, and some, including

California and Colorado have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Despite this Marijuana

still remains highly illegal at the federal level, creating barriers to research that can inform policy

makers and help create more effective policy. Right now the research on marijuana’s effects and

therapeutic uses is limited, leaving policy makers in states that legalize medical marijuana

uninformed. This has led to states having very different rules and regulations around medical

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use. We can reduce the harm to students caused by marijuana and alcohol by improving

regulations, in order to reduce access for youth.

Part II: Historical Context and Background

History of Alcohol Use and Regulation in the U.S.

Alcohol has a long history in the United States, being a part of daily life and . For early

Americans alcohol was a regular part of life. After the Revolutionary War, American made

whiskey became commonplace and cheaper than beer, coffee, tea, and milk. People of all ages

and walks of life drank alcohol. Ministers in early America did not even consider the act of

drinking a sin, instead they considered drunkenness a sin. Even toddlers would occasionally get

some liquor. Through the 1800s different states enacted different regulations prohibiting alcohol

and its sale, as religious and moral attitudes towards alcohol changed. By 1916, 23 states had

laws against the sale of alcohol and/or public bars (Gershon). It wasn't until the passage of the

18th amendment in 1919 that prohibition became law, and the manufacture and sale of alcohol

became illegal. As prohibition continued into the 20s, people still consumed alcohol, just

illegally. Under prohibition many disregarded the law including many public figures and

politicians. This led to the flourishing of organized crime, and alcohol smuggling in cities.

Figures like Al Capone amassed fortunes in the underground alcohol business. Finally in 1933

with wide support the 21st amendment passed, ending prohibition. (Prohibition) After

prohibition each of the states set their own laws and regulations around alcohol with some opting

for a minimum drinking age of 21 while others opted for 18. In the 1970s after the changing of

the voting age to 18 in many states, many also decided to change their drinking age to 18.

Among rising concerns about the safety of youth, especially concerning traffic deaths and the

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fact that the drinking age was not consistent across states, a movement started to raise the

drinking age. After threats of decreasing federal highway funding to states with a minimum

drinking age under 21, all states raised their drinking age to 21 by 1988 (Toomey 1).

History of Marijuana Use and Regulation in the U.S.

The plant Cannabis Sativa was an important part of early American life. Hemp, a

derivative of cannabis sativa, was used to make clothes, ropes, and sails, and was an important

part of the American economy. In the mid to late 1800s weed was used in the U.S. for medicinal

purposes and was openly sold in pharmacies. During this time the compounds CBD and THC

had not been discovered yet, meaning that medicines using marijuana were not uniform, and did

not all have the same effects. It wasn't until 1964 that the main psychoactive compound, THC,

was first isolated. In the aftermath of the Mexican American war at the turn of century, thousands

of migrants came from Mexico into the United States, bringing with them recreational

Marijuana. Many in the U.S. feared and resented the migrants especially as the great depression

created mass unemployment and poverty. As the century wore on sentiment towards marijuana

shifted into a more negative light partially due to people's attitudes towards these migrants,

causing states to regulate the plant more heavily. It reached a peak in 1937 when the Marihuana

tax act passed, taxing the plant and making its sale illegal without a tax stamp, making it much

harder to sell and buy. During WW2, hemp was produced and widely used by the U.S. for rope

and other military equipment. In the post war era as more research on weed started to be

conducted, weed slowly started to become more accepted, and even started to be decriminalized

in multiple states. During the war on drugs, penalties for being caught with even a small amount

of marijuana were harsh with mandatory prison times. Over time public opinion has swayed as

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the benefits of marijuana became more recognized, and California legalized weed for medical

purposes in 1996 paving the way for other states. Colorado became the first state to legalize

recreational marijuana in 2014. Since then many states have followed suit, by either

decriminalizing, or legalizing medically, and/or recreationally (University). Marijuana being

federally illegal while at the same time being legalized for medical use and recreational use in

some states puts users and sellers in an interesting position. Research on marijuana and its

potential therapeutic uses in the U.S. slowed significantly with the passage of the Controlled

Substance Act. The Controlled Substance Act was enacted in 1970 by president Richard Nixon

and placed drugs into five schedules, with schedule one being reserved for the most highly

regulated and dangerous drugs, that have no accepted medical use, and have a high potential for

abuse. Marijuana was put as schedule one alongside drugs like MDMA, heroine, and LSD. For

context cocaine, and common opioids are schedule two (Ortiz). The controlled substance act

classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 substance with no medical uses, which is in contrast with the

38 states that have legalized marijuana for medical use. Although there is some evidence that

marijuana has some therapeutic uses, marijuana is not completely harmless.

Harms of Marijuana and Alcohol Use

Marijuana and Alcohol use both are associated with many harmful effects and outcomes.

These harms are even more pronounced in adolescence and young adulthood as the body and

brain are still developing. First the acute and immediate effects of alcohol and marijuana both

affect motor skills that are important for driving, such as reaction time and hand eye

coordination. Studies looking to find the link between marijuana, alcohol and crashes,

consistently find that alcohol is related to crashes occurring; however the link between marijuana

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and crashes is less clear. Some studies have found no increase in crash risk from cannabis, while

others still have found that cannabis users are more likely to be responsible for crashes. These

contradictory results are partially due to difficulties in testing compared to alcohol. However on

actual road tests marijuana users showed no impairment unless it was also combined with

alcohol. Marijuana users tend to overcompensate for their level of impairment, whereas alcohol

users tend to underestimate their levels of impairment. (Sewell et al. 3-6). Although the effects

of marijuana on driving is unclear, it is clear that alcohol is dangerous when driving, and even

worse when combined with other substances. Due to the dangers of drunk driving it is one of the

most important factors to reduce harm associated with use. Consuming too much alcohol in one

sitting can lead to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning is dangerous and potentially deadly. If

someone has alcohol poisoning it is vital that they get immediate medical care. Height, weight,

how recently you ate, the % of alcohol dranken, whether you have used any other substances,

and how much you drank are all risk factors that can increase the risk of alcohol poisoning

(Mayo). Youth typically have lower heights and weights than adults, making it extra important

for youth to not consume excessive amounts of alcohol. Alcohol use over time also has

associated risks. Alcohol can affect your brain, heart, liver, pancreas, and weaken your immune

system. Drinking too much over a long time can lead to conditions such as cardiomyopathy,

cirrhosis, arrhythmias, and Steatosis. Alcohol also is known to increase risk of cancers and is a

known carcinogen (National Institute). Stopping underage drinking is not only important to

reduce the immediate harms that can come from alcohol use but also the long term harms.

Cannabis is made up of 100s of different cannabinoids; some of these are relatively harmless and

even have potential therapeutic [Link] is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana

responsible for the “high” associated with smoking weed. Some of the acute and immediate

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effects of marijuana include altered senses, altered sense of time, difficulty thinking, impaired

memory, and at higher doses hallucinations, delusions, and psychosis (Abuse). Although the

immediate effects of marijuana are relatively harmless, at higher doses there are bigger risks and

harms. Rising levels of THC in the past 20 years raise extra concerns. According to one study:

“our results show an overall increase in potency of illicit cannabis, from approximately 10% in

2009 to approximately 14% in 2019” (ElSohly et al. 2). With some of the bigger risks of

marijuana being associated with higher doses of marijuana, it makes THC content one factor that

lawmakers can focus on in order to lower harm. Marijuana use during youth can also have long

term consequences; “Marijuana also affects brain development. When people begin using

marijuana as teenagers, the drug may impair thinking, memory, and learning functions and affect

how the brain builds connections between the areas necessary for these functions'' (Abuse).

Marijauna affects the brain as it develops and key functions that are important for people. Due to

how marijuana affects brain development it is important for policy to focus on reducing how

often THC is consumed by youth and the quantity of THC consumed. This means reducing

access to higher potency forms of marijuana such as edibles and concentrates of THC should be

a priority for policy makers. Although both marijuana and alcohol both have short and long term

risks and alcohol use is associated with more deadly outcomes, reducing these outcomes

associated with use should be a high priority for lawmakers, parents, and schools.

Part III: Research and Analysis

DUI Law and Access to Alcohol Through Stores

When it comes to dealing with substance use among youth a common way that society

deals with this use is by punishing them. But how effective is this strategy at reducing use and

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reducing harm from this use? Federal and state laws both prohibit a person from driving while

under the influence of alcohol and drugs. When a police officer pulls someone over they suspect

of drinking while under the influence they can subject them to a blood alcohol content test or

breath alcohol test (BAC for short). If during one of these tests a person is found to have a BAC

of over .05 but under .08 it is considered a DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired). If it is .08

or greater it is considered a DUI (Driving Under the Influence). In order to reach a BAC of .8 it

takes someone to drink approximately 4 drinks depending on the person. If convicted someone

can get their license revoked for up to 9 months, and face jail time of up to a year for their first

DUI offense (Colorado). This law attempts to deter someone from drinking while driving with

penalties and hoping that people do not think it is worth the risk of getting caught. Every year

thousands of people die from alcohol related traffic fatalities; “In 2016, about 10,500 persons

died in alcohol-impaired crashes—28 percent of all traffic-related deaths” (Sloan 3). Drunk

driving is dangerous and one of the most important things to reduce in order to reduce the harm

caused by alcohol. DUI laws seek to reduce drunk driving by deterring people with the possible

punishment of getting a DUI. This is done through police pulling people over they suspect of

driving under the influence. There are several factors that affect a person's decision to drink and

drive, including the risk of getting in a crash, risk of getting pulled over and subsequently tested

over .8 to be able to be charged with a DUI. The problem with using a DUI’s to deter people

from driving under influences is that people drive . In a review of drinking and driving laws,

Frank Sloan notes that “In 2006, there were an estimated 116 million drunk driving episodes in

the US. The high rate of drunk driving episodes relative to the number of DWI charges suggests

that the probability of an arrest for DWI per DWI episode is under 0.01.” (Sloan 3) With such a

low rate of DWI charges to the amount that people drove while under the influence, it suggests

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that people despite knowing the risks of driving while under the influence, will still decide to

drive, and will often not be punished for it. This suggests that DUI laws alone are not enough to

deter and prevent people from drunk driving. When it comes to deterring youth from drunk

driving often states will have lower BAC levels that result in a charge and/or zero tolerance laws

for underage drinking and driving. For example in Colorado if someone under 21 is found to

have BAC between .02 and .05 they can get a UDD (underage drinking and driving) charge, that

if convicted results in revoking of their license, a fine, and possible public service (Colorado

law). By having lower BAC that can land you with a charge it attempts to deter youth from

drinking even if they have a low amount of alcohol in their system. But if people are never

convicted of the crime, and they drive under the influence without getting caught, how do these

punishments deter people from driving under the influence? In order to reduce harm from drunk

driving the role of parents is important. Youth and young adults should have talks with parents

about the risks of drunk driving and the importance of never getting in the car with someone that

is intoxicated at the wheel. DUI laws are not the only types of laws that change youth consuming

alcohol. One study looking at the amount of alcohol outlets' effect on underage drinking found

that “exposure to bars and off-premise outlets near home was associated with accessing alcohol

through peers aged under 21, which is in turn associated with increased alcohol consumption”

(Morrison et al. 6). This suggests that the more places that sell alcohol near youth the more that

youth drink. Youth have many avenues that they can acquire alcohol from. The majority of youth

do not get their alcohol directly from retail locations. Instead, about a third of respondents to the

survey got it through their home, while another third got it through peers, whereas less than 10

percent got their alcohol through direct store access (Morrison et al. 3). Even though most youth

do not get their alcohol through direct store access, they are still getting more alcohol through

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social sources and sometimes directly through stores. Regulations that allow more alcohol in

more stores and places like gas stations increases the amount of alcohol that youth consume. One

recent law that could potentially be harmful is proposition 125 that passed in 2023 that allows

gas stations in Colorado to sell wine (Irizarry). Gas stations can sell individual cartons and cans

that could be potentially stolen from gas stations, and the law increases the amount of places that

youth can seek to get alcohol from.

School Marijuana and Alcohol Policy

When students are caught with marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs in school,

a common way of dealing with the students is to give suspensions. There are two types of

suspensions that are used. The first is an out of school suspension. The idea behind an out of

school suspension is that they are used when continuing to have the student poses a threat of

harm to other students. The idea behind an in school suspension is that it allows the student to

remain in a learning environment, while still isolating them from other students. The

effectiveness of these policies remains a hotly contested issue. Some argue that by sending

students out of school for substances, it only puts them in a position where they are potentially

unsupervised and creates an opportunity for substance use. A 1997 study found that “Schools

and communities provide various opportunities and barriers for alcohol use and the consumption

of other drugs by adolescents” (Roski et al. 7). For the study, they made an opportunity index

made up of various factors relating to opportunities for use and non use, such as perceived

parental supervision and quality of opportunities in the community. They found that the

opportunity index was negatively associated with all alcohol related factors, including alcohol

use onset and heavy drinking (Roski et al. 8). Essentially the more opportunities for use of time

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that does not involve substances that are present in a community the less substances are used. On

the flip side the more opportunities for use that involve substances and lack of supervision are

associated with more substance use. The problem with using suspension’s as a punishment is that

they often do not succeed at changing the behaviors of the suspended student. In fact, a study

looking at factors associated with school suspension found that “School suspension was linked to

an almost doubled likelihood of Grade 7 students using tobacco 12 months later, even after

controlling for prior tobacco use” (Hemphill et al. 9). A possible reason for this explanation is

that suspending students does not solve the root of the problem, and in the case of out of school

suspensions puts the student in a position where they are possibly unsupervised and creates an

opportunity for use.

The Research on Effectiveness of Different Minimum Age Laws.

Minimum legal drinking age laws seek to reduce the harm caused by alcohol by

restricting access to alcohol to only people above the drinking age. In the U.S. the drinking age is

21 and has been in all 50 states since 1988. Many countries in the world have opted for a

drinking age of 18, such as Mexico, the U.K., and France. Alcohol, marijuana, and tobacco use is

already common among specifically older high schoolers, and college aged youth. By lowering

the drinking rate we could bring these users out of underground substance use culture, and make

our current drinking laws more effective.

Whether we like it or not, students and youth are using substances. In 2019 according to

CDC statistics for current use 29% of high schoolers drink and 21% report current marijuana use.

(Jones et al.). That means almost a third of our high schoolers are current users of alcohol, and a

fifth of our highschoolers use marijuana currently. Not only is use relatively common but it is

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also easy for youth to access these substances. One study found that “86% of 12th graders

considered alcohol “fairly easy” or “very easy” to get” (Morrison et al. 1). High schoolers do not

find it difficult to access alcohol despite it being illegal to sell to minors, with older students

finding it even easier. Drinking and substance use only becomes more common after high school.

In a study looking at fake ID use and prevalence in Florida universities they found that “The

majority of students admit drinking alcohol over the previous 12 months to a point of causing a

hangover (65%) and 33% to a point of passing out from alcohol. 20% admit drinking and

driving. 41 % of participants in our survey admit to drinking more than 6 drinks per week”

(Haddad et al. 3). Despite being illegal, the majority of students at these colleges drank alcohol,

and did so in a manner that can be potentially very harmful to themselves and others. When it

comes to the acquisition of alcohol and other substances there are many avenues of access for

underage users.

The majority of youth acquire their alcohol from social sources, as opposed to

commercial sources. This can mean from their parents, adults over 21, and friends. The most

common access point especially for older youth is through their peers whether they are over or

under 21 (Morrison et al. 1). When youth access alcohol through retail locations there are

multiple ways that they do it. The most common method is to get someone that is over 21 to buy

it for them. Less commonly youth will use a fake id, someone else's id, and sometimes youth are

never even asked for id at the point of purchase (Schwartz et al. 8). Much of the data on access

points for substances do not take into account the fact that cell phones and technology have

changed the way we live. A survey shows that by age 8 31% of kids will own a cell phone, and

by age 14 91% of teens will own a cell phone (Rideout 22). By the time youth are exiting middle

school and entering high school phones are commonplace. Although research has not been done

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specifically on cell phones and social media as it relates to access of substances for youth,

research has shown that drug dealers use social media such as Snapchat, instagram, facebook,

etc. This study looked at how drug dealing takes place on social media in Nordic countries, by

conducting anonymous interviews with buyers and sellers on social media platforms. They found

that although specific methods and social media platforms varied by country to country, all

countries in the study had an active digital drug market. The most common apps were Facebook,

messenger, snapchat, and whatsapp. The sellers in the study sold numerous drugs including

cannabis, MDMA, cocaine, and prescription drugs. They also met in person after making initial

contact online most of the time (Demant et al. 2-8). Social media is a possible access point for

youth looking to buy marijuana. Although the study did not find people selling alcohol to

minors, youth looking to acquire alcohol could get it through social media. The real harm from

these illegal sellers is that a youth looking for alcohol or marijuana may come into contact with

harder drugs like MDMA, cocaine, and LSD. Alcohol and substance use is already common

among 18-21 year olds in the U.S. and with other countries with lower minimum purchasing

laws it raises the question of what age for purchasing legal substances is the most effective at

reducing harm.

Lots of research has been done on minimum age laws and how they affect rates of

alcohol related crashes and drinking rates among young adults and youth. Much of the research

comes after many U.S. states raised the MLDA to 21. “Of the 29 studies completed since the

early 1980’s that evaluated increases in the MLDA, 20 showed significant decreases in traffic

crashes and crash fatalities” (Toomey et al. 3). These studies show that a higher MLDA reduces

harm from traffic fatalities, but these studies do not show the full picture. These MLDA laws

were also introduced during a time when harm from alcohol and drunk driving was a hot topic

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and as such many laws were being put in place during the time period, such as stricter DUI laws

and excise tax laws. Research looking at how New Zealand’s reduction of their MLDA from to

20 to 18 in 1999 affected traffic fatalities, found that there were no immediate changes in traffic

accidents due the change in MLDA. In fact some cohorts of ages in the study had less accidents

than before the change, but this was credited to the novelty of the law. After a few years traffic

fatalities returned to what they were pre law change. (Boes 12). The evidence from New Zealand

found that it is possible to change the MLDA without significantly increasing harm from alcohol

related traffic fatalities. Germany has a stepped MLDA, meaning that at 16 years old Germans

are able to buy and consume fermented beverages such as wine and beer. At 18 years old

Germans are able to buy and consume all types of alcoholic beverages including hard liquors.

They found that when people reached both 16 and 18 age thresholds for alcohol the rate of

accidents went up, but they mainly attributed this to a novice driver effect and not due to gaining

access to alcohol. (Kamalow 20). The debate surrounding the perfect MLDA mostly focuses on a

single age for the MLDA, commonly 21 or 18. When people gain access to alcohol there are

associated negative health effects. A stepwise system of gaining alcohol, has potential to reduce

harm from alcohol, by slowly introducing alcohol, before giving full access to liquors that have

more potential for harm and abuse, due to their higher alcohol concentracion. Proponents of a

lower MLDA argue that a high one does not stop minors from drinking, leads to extreme

drinking patterns, is hard to enforce, and deters youth from getting help with addiction and from

their parents due to the stigma from underage drinking. One study looking into the effect that

different minimum drinking ages have on drinking patterns in North Carolina (21) and Lousisian

(18) and by comparing drinking patterns among university students, found that the students in

the North Carolina sample not only drank more alcohol than the louisiana sample, but also drank

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in more uncontrolled environments, such as homes, fraternities, sororities, and dorms, as

opposed to locations where proof legal age is required such as bars (Mooney et al. 1). Despite

not having legal access to alcohol, the students in the state with the higher drinking age reported

more drinking and more dangerous drinking patterns. This is in contrast to other studies in the

US looking at changes in the minimum drinking age effect on traffic fatalities, but inline with the

evidence from New Zealand that a lower drinking age does not necessarily mean increased harm

from drinking.

Barriers to Marijuana Research and Effects of Legalization

As more states legalize marijuana recreationally and medically at the state level,

policymakers are looking to create regulations around these laws that reduce harm and keep it

out of youth possession. When it comes to regulations and laws around marijuana it is a little

harder to know what policies are best at reducing harm compared to alcohol. Alcohol has a large

base of research from over 100 years of legality that make it easier for policy makers to create

evidence based laws and regulations. For example laws around DUIs and MLDA have lots of

research looking into their effectiveness, that allows lawmakers to make more informed

decisions. Marijuanas’s federal legality makes research on it and its effects on people incredibly

hard to do. Many states are legalizing marijuana for its potential health benefits, as such when

policy makers are creating laws, it would be helpful to have a wide base of research on all of its

effects, potential risks, and possible therapeutic effects. Without the proper research it leaves

people without the proper knowledge and evidence to make healthy and safe decisions around

marijuana. In order to do research on cannabis, researchers must overcome several hurdles. In

order to do research on marijuana researchers must go through multiple federal agencies. This

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includes an investigational new drug (IND) application to the FDA, where they can postpone

research if the FDA determines that the participants are exposed to unreasonable risk. In order to

get marijuana for use in studies, researchers must also contact the NIDA (National Institute on

Drug Abuse) with their application as well as the DEA. The controlled substance act and

marijuana’s classification as a schedule one drug also represent a barrier to research. Depending

on the state there are different regulations and barriers that researchers must go through in order

to do their research due it’s schedule 1 classification. In the U.S. the only source of cannabis for

research is only available through the NIDA drug supply program. All cannabis provided by the

NIDA for research purposes comes only from the University of Mississippi. This creates a

problem for researchers looking into the potential adverse health effects and potential therapeutic

uses. This is because “federally produced cannabis may have been harvested years earlier, is

stored in a freezer (a process that may affect the quality of the product) (Taschwer and Schmid,

2015; Thomas and Pollard, 2016), and often has a lower potency than cannabis sold in

state-regulated markets (Reardon, 2015; Stith and Vigil, 2016). In addition, many products

available in state-regulated markets (e.g., edibles, concentrates, oils, wax, topicals) are not

commonly available through federal sou rce” (National Academies). By using cannabis that is

different from cannabis on the market, it means that research using that cannabis might not tell us

the full story of what cannabis is actually doing to people that use it. Also high concentration

weed such as concentrates and edibles have some of the highest potential for harm, but due to

federal regulations research on these forms of cannabis researchers are unable to learn about the

potential harms that can come from these forms of cannabis. This leaves policy makers in the

dark on the best strategies to reduce harm, when a state decides to legalize marijuana. Some

argue that legalizing weed will increase the supply of weed, make it seem less dangerous, and

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consequently increase use among youth. When looking at states that have legalized marijuana the

story is a little more complex. As states have legalized marijuana it has allowed researchers to

look at the effects that cannabis legalization has had on marijuana, alcohol, tobacco, and opioid

use among youth. The general consensus for studies that have looked at marijuana use after

medical legalization is that it increases use among adults over 21, youth use remains consistent.

A few studies have found evidence of earlier initiation of cannabis use but did not increase the

likelihood of past month use among the same age (Smart 5). As one would expect, legalization

increased use among people that are able to buy it, but surprisingly it did not find the same for

youth. It also suggests that although youth patterns of use do not change overall, it seems that

there is still more experimentation that is associated with medical legalization. The effects of

recreational marijuana is less studied due to the relative novelty of recreational marijuana laws

compared to medical laws. The research that has been done shows “increased use prevalence

among youth in some states (Washington and Oregon) but not in others (Colorado) and

insignificant effects for adults” (Smart 5). This potentially shows that legalization can have

varying outcomes, either positive or negative. These studies are limited by the fact that these

changes are relatively recent and short term effects of legalization may not reflect long term

outcomes (Smart 5). More research is needed to fully understand the effects that recreational

legalization has on youth substances use patterns.

Part IV: Conclusion

Cannabis use and alcohol use among youth has many associated risks and harms. Some

of these include addiction, driving under the influence, use while the brain is still developing and

introduction to harder substances. As such, policies regulating these substances seek to reduce

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access, reduce overall use, and ultimately harm. When schools are choosing policy around youth

substance use, it is vital that they do not unnecessarily expose youth to opportunities for

substance use. In-school suspensions provide an alternative to out of school suspensions that

allow students to remain in a learning environment where substances are not present, while still

separating the student from other students. Both marijuana and alcohol both have a long history

of regulation in the U.S. Overall since the early 20 century alcohol has remained legal to buy and

consume. As the research base and more knowledge on alcohol and its effects have improved it

has led to the introduction of a myriad of regulations, that by themselves do not always have the

largest impact on use, but taken together they are able to reduce use and harm. Some of these

regulate where alcohol can be sold, per se DUI laws, and minimum age laws. Despite this youth

have many avenues for access to alcohol including peers over 21 and under, family, and fake

IDs. Improvements in communication technology has also made it even easier for youth to

access substances illegally. With many youth getting alcohol from Alcohol and marijuana use is

already common among older high school students and college students. By lowering the age to

buy these substances it would bring these users into the legal market. A potential benefit of this

is removing the “illegal” stigma of drinking underage that might deter a youth from going to the

hospital or seeking help. Another benefit of bringing 18-21 year olds into the legal market is that

it keeps youth out of the illegal drug market and reduces contact youth have with more

dangerous substances. Evidence from New Zealand shows a precedent of lowering the drinking

age without increasing harm to youth. One way of bringing youth into the legal market while

also reducing potential harms would be to pursue a system similar to Germany’s stepwise

system. A potential system in Colorado could have 18 year olds get access to low concentration

marijuana and fermented alcoholic beverages, and at 21 gain access to more potentially harmful

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versions, such as hard liquor and edibles. Medical marijuana as a policy is increasingly becoming

popular as evidenced by the amount of states that have considered legalizing marijuana

medically and ones that have legalized it. 38 out of 50 states have already legalized marijuana.

Marijuana being highly illegal on the federal level puts users and sellers in legal states in a legal

gray area. As Marijuana’s status as a schedule 1 substance does not fit under the definition of a

schedule 1, and creates barriers to further research into marijuana’s potential therapeutic uses and

our understanding of its potential harms. Medical marijuana has been shown to not have a

significant impact on adolescent use in the states that have legalized it. Removing from

marijuana from schedule one would allow for further research into marijuana, while also not

increasing harm to youth. A larger base of research on marijuana would help policymakers make

policy that is supported by evidence. In order to reduce harm to students from alcohol, it is vital

that the policies of the school, state, and the home are optimized to reduce access to these

substances through social and retail locations.

20
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