One of the arguments against the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults has long been that it would send the wrong message to youth. That providing tacit approval of the drug would remove the stigma and lead to increased use among teenagers.
Thus far, fortunately, that does not appear to be the case. Recently released results of the 2016 Healthy Youth Survey indicate that use of marijuana — as well as alcohol and tobacco — is continuing to decline among teenagers in Clark County and across the nation. While this is positive news, it carries with it a warning to officials throughout the state that they should adhere to a promise that was made when Washington voters legalized marijuana in 2012. That promise: to use some of the revenue from sales of the drug for education and programs to reduce illicit use among teens.
It was a promise that garnered the state some leeway from the Obama administration as Washington launched its recreational marijuana industry. Rather than enforce federal law that says marijuana is illegal, the administration allowed states to sell the drug so long as appropriate safeguards are in place.
All of that could change under the Trump administration and new Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime critic of marijuana use. But even if the federal government cracks down on states that have legalized recreational or medical marijuana, the issue will not disappear. As we learned in the decades before legalization, adults and teens will have access to marijuana whether or not it is legal.
Therein lies the disconcerting aspect of the Healthy Youth Survey in the minds of local health officials. The survey, which is voluntary and anonymous, found that 16 percent of 10th graders in Clark County used marijuana in 2016, a decline from 19 percent in 2008. At the same time, there was a sharp increase in the percentage of students who said there was little or no risk of harm in trying the drug a couple times.
“If kids are perceiving it as less harmful than they have before, then we’re worried those use rates will go up,” said Alan Melnick, Clark County health officer and public health director. Adiba Ali, an epidemiologist at Clark County Public Health, said: “We were expecting because of accessibility and availability that (usage) rates would go up some. There’s been a lot of concern about easier access and availability.”
Social trends are inevitably complex. One factor in a decadelong decline in drug and alcohol use among teens nationwide might be, according to one hypothesis, the ubiquity of smartphones. The New York Times published a story quoting several experts who believe that wired-in teens are eschewing other activities in favor of their phones, which one psychologist called “a portable dopamine pump.”
There might or might not be some truth in that, but the overall issue of drug use will continue to demand examination. Let’s face it, drugs and alcohol are not healthy for adults, but society has deemed them to be a personal decision. We tried prohibition once; it didn’t work very well. But when it comes to teens, whose still-developing brains are particularly susceptible to the effects of drugs and whose decision-making capacity has not yet matured — substances are particularly damaging. It will be essential for public officials to keep repeating that message and make clear that there are good reasons for age limits on substance use.
Teens will be faced with making choices that impact their health. It is our job to help them choose wisely.
