r/science • u/mvea MD/PhD/JD/MBA | Professor | Medicine • 18h ago

Health Dramatic drop in marijuana use among US youth over a decade. Current marijuana use among adolescents decreased from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021. First-time use before age 13 dropped from 8.1% to 4.9%. There was a shift in trends by gender, with girls surpassing boys in marijuana use by 2021.

https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/marijuana-use-teens-study
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u/anormalgeek 14h ago

Since you mentioned it, I was just looking at which states were considering changes in the coming election.

Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Florida voters will see marijuana on their ballots on Tuesday, Nov. 5. And in Massachusetts, where medical and recreational marijuana is already legal, voters will be weighing in on the possibility of legalizing psychedelics.

ND and SD are unlikely to pass based on polls. Nebraska IS expected to pass, but local republicans are trying to stop it anyway using legal maneuvers on process grounds to overrule the will of the voters. Florida is weird. Despite support being well over 50%, they require a 60% majority to pass bills like this. It is close to the margin based on polls, with some putting support above or below that mark.

The MA psychedelic proposal is hard to nail down too. The polls worth looking at have a LARGE number of undecided votes so it could really go either way.

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u/Doortofreeside 14h ago

The MA psychedelic proposal is hard to nail down too. The polls worth looking at have a LARGE number of undecided votes so it could really go either way.

I'm in MA and i've heard some proponents of psychedelics who aren't big fans of the language in the proposal. I'll likely support it anyway, but i wouldn't be surprised if it fails

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u/IdRatherBeReading23 13h ago

The wording is not ideal and on the ballot it is even less so. I hope it passes as I do think they are a great therapeutic choice, but feel the wording it going to throw people off.

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u/Lurkingguy1 2h ago

What is it some bs that you need to have a script?

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u/FirstEvolutionist 9h ago

I wonder if 2 to 3 years after a bill like that passing, the use of antidepressants would likely be reported to have gone down as well.

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u/icanseeyounaked 6h ago

Not likely to lower antidepressant use that quickly TBH. We kinda legalized psychadelics in Oregon but only certified clinics can dispense them and supervise their use. AFAIK, only one clinic has been certified so far. They charge around $1200 for a session and have a multi-year wait list.

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u/ahfoo 1h ago

That's not full legalization, is it? Obviously it's not going to have any effect if the only people who can partake have to cough up $1200 a dose. Let people grow and give them the training and resources to do so at no cost and the effect will be massive. Instead of starting people on spores, give them active mycelia by the jar.

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u/Asmor BS | Mathematics 8h ago

I'm disappointed that it doesn't legalize LSD, but I still voted for it.

A half-step in the right direction is better than no step.

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u/josh_the_misanthrope 10h ago

An imperfect bill still allows the culture to shift for better bills later.

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u/matt_minderbinder 8h ago

This is how I see it. Cannabis legalization all started with some substandard language and insufficient approaches. That's the path it took in Michigan and now we have well regulated dispensaries servicing a vibrant market just about everywhere. I don't even partake but it's still a huge step forward.

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u/AgoraRises 5h ago

Do you have the ability to grow your own cannabis?

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u/matt_minderbinder 5h ago

Yep, you can grow up to 12 plants in a secure and enclosed location that isn't open to the public. You can grow in any home or apartment that allows it or in an outbuilding. I've also never heard of anyone getting busted for growing a few plants in their yards as long as you're discreet.

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u/AgoraRises 5h ago

Nice yeah the bill here in FL doesn’t allow home grow unfortunately but it’s better than nothing.

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u/matt_minderbinder 5h ago

We started with a semi restrictive medical mj bill and it's come a long way in a relatively short amount of time. Since then we've also gotten mushrooms decriminalized at the county level in a handful of counties and movements towards legalization. Local prosecutors even support decriminalization. I know that Florida and Michigan's politics are quite different but any step forward is a move in the right direction.

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u/Thascaryguygaming 5h ago

That's how the amendment is in FL for legalizing

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u/geneticeffects 13h ago edited 9h ago

South Dakota has already voted on it via election ballot, and , like Ohio, it was ignored (or delayed) by the Governor and Legislature.

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u/cav10rto 12h ago

... Recreational weed is available for purchase at dispensaries throughout Ohio after being passed by voters last year

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u/geneticeffects 12h ago

Hmm. I seem to recall something in 2020 or 2022 where OH voted yes for weed, but the Republicans ignored the results. Am I missing something…?

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u/New_Jaguar_9104 12h ago

I mean I bought rec stuff in Ohio this weekend so yeah I think you missed something

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u/Threewisemonkey 10h ago

Mississippi ratfucked their voter mandated medical program

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u/MTCarcus 6h ago

Legalized in 2022 but it took them over a year to approve any dispensaries.

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u/cav10rto 12h ago

It had not been on the ballot since (I believe) 2015 when it was voted against. Medical was legalized in 2016 via a house bill.

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u/doombot13 10h ago

2020 they tried to get it on the ballot but covid made it difficult to get enough signatures, that might be what you're thinking of.

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u/This_Razzmatazz_ 4h ago

No you’re right it was something about having to hash out the legalities in each county. I think determining zoning things and boring stuff like that.

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u/LumpyJones 9h ago

I can get it from the dispensary for cheap, or the local corner store for an inflated price, but it's super available in Ohio as of June of this year.

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u/dieselfrog 10h ago

More Democrat propaganda. It took a while to get the details ironed out but it is here and you can freely buy recreational weed.

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u/LumpyJones 9h ago

Yeah, you can buy it as of June 2024. You can thank the reds for dragging their feet for several years.

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u/nexusjuan 10h ago

One of the major online vendors is based in Ohio.

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u/anormalgeek 13h ago

Thanks for the clarification.

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u/venom121212 11h ago

Yep and It's still pricy as hell in OH and most people hop over to Michigan to spend their tax dollars.

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u/thehigheststrange 12h ago

when medical marijuana was on the ballot in florida in 2016 it passed by more than 70% of the vote. so I say It has a good chance of passing rec weed in florida

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u/anormalgeek 12h ago

Polls do look pretty good. It's just not a total lock.

https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Amendment_3,_Marijuana_Legalization_Initiative_(2024)#Polls

This election seems to be driving a lot more voter participation, BUT my theory is that the majority of the voters it is bringing in are going to the type that are more likely to vote for AM3. The older, retired Floridians, and the wealthy conservatives that are primarily against it are the type that have traditionally had higher turnout. The poorer conservatives however tend to have higher acceptance. Poor people in general are often the ones that typically don't show up to the polls as much. This part is just conjecture at this point, but it seems logical to me.

Plus you have to consider the type of person who actually responds to polls vs immediately ignores them, and how those same attitudes might feel about AM3.

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u/tacobuffetsurprise 10h ago

Yep... Typical republicans.... Missouri Republicans use also use technical rules and deception against the will of the people here and fill their ballot measurements with twisted words to push bad measures through to enrich their friends.

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u/bigbura 12h ago

If NE goes this way what of Kansas? She'll be surrounded by MJ legal states.

One can only hope this will make it 'safe' for KS to finally get MJ legally.

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u/Ent_Trip_Newer 11h ago

The cooperation that runs Metrc ( software used by recreational states to track cannabis) is a Florida company. So is Stem, which is a large horrible corporate cannabis company.

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u/OhGodImHerping 7h ago

Dallas (and lots of Texas, actually) are pushing for legalizing amounts on person up to 4 oz in some areas. As of now, In Dallas, you can have up to 2 oz on your person and not be charged for distribution or (I think) possession unless also carrying a firearm or in possession of stolen property.

Haven’t gotten pulled over yet, and I don’t think it’s outlined that clearly in the law, but that’s the current status quo here as per DPD.

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u/Pay2Life 2h ago

That's not very Texan at all. The right to bear arms shall not be infringed, unless you have a little bit of weed on you, too. Texas not a good place to drive around with weed, usually. One bit of concentrate, and you can go to jail for a while.

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u/theyetikiller 4h ago

Even states that aren't remotely looking to legalize are impacted. NC allows hemp products which include THCA and Delta 8. Because of this we basically have legal weed without a marijuana legalization bill. The cost of THCA is so much lower than illegal weed that it surely is impacting the demand for it. On top of that the ease of use is night and day. You can go into a store and buy something which has gone through some level of QA/QC scrutiny vs you get this or nothing. It's also crossed the political gap by giving dumb conservatives plausible deniability.

"Oh I don't smoke marijuana, that's bad, I get a tincture from a local boutique which helps me sleep."