Study finds medical marijuana has no impact on teen drug abuse

Drawing upon data from 13 states from 1993 – 2009, professors from Montana State University, the University of Oregon and the University of Colorado Denver found that medical marijuana actually had a negative impact on the consumption of cocaine, the use of which declined 1.9 percent in areas that had legalized medical marijuana. It had no statistically significant impact on teen marijuana use.

Data used in the study was collected from the Center for Disease Control’s annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which is often cited by the nation’s top law enforcement officials and lawmakers when discussing drug policy. The most recent YRBS found that more U.S. teens are smoking marijuana than cigarettes, attributing public education campaigns and regulatory controls for the reduction in tobacco use.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/06/18/study-finds-medical-marijuana-has-no-impact-on-teen-drug-abuse/