Study: Cannabis use rising sharply among young adults

More than two-fifths of young men and women nationwide now use cannabis at least on occasion, according to federal data released this week (Source: “Marijuana use is becoming a new normal among young adults,” The Hill, Oct. 18, 2022).

The federal study, which was conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and funded by NIDA, part of the National Institutes of Health, found that much of the trend is driven by young women, who have all but closed a decades-long gender gap in cannabis use.   

Already, 19 states and the District of Columbia have recreational cannabis laws on the books. Five more states are poised to join the recreational cannabis movement after the midterms. Should all five measures pass, “legalization would be the law for an estimated 49% of the U.S. population,” said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, in an email interview. 

Last December, HPIO released a policy brief titled Alcohol, Tobacco and Health: Implications for Future Cannabis Policy that lays the groundwork for future cannabis policy discussions in Ohio by applying lessons learned from tobacco and alcohol to inform equitable and effective cannabis regulation in the future.