Clickbait-y title aside, a recent study confirms what we at Twenty-One Debunked have always known. When examining substance use trends among college students from 2008-2018, it was observed that recreational cannabis legalization was associated with nearly 10% LESS "binge" drinking by students over the age of 21. That is of course not surprising, given that alcohol and cannabis tend to be substitutes, and the legal age limit for both substances is 21 in all such legalization states so far. No such effect was observed for students under 21, and no other effects were observed on trends for any other substance use (including nicotine use, illicit drug use, and prescription stimulant, sedative, or opioid misuse) among students under or over 21, except for a modest increase in the (mis)use of sedatives among students under 21 (but not over 21) for whatever reason. (So much for the long-debunked "gateway" theory).
We at Twenty-One Debunked believe that if the age limit was lowered to 18 for both alcohol and cannabis, the benefits of the aforementioned reduction in "binge" drinking would extend to students under 21 as well. In any case, cannabis legalization looks like a net public health win on balance.
So what are we waiting for?
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It is important that Canmabis be legalized in every state and territory of the United States. The minimum age for smoking Cannabis should be lowered to 18-19. The way that federal law is written, no wonder why states have not allowed for a more suitable minimum age. The drinking age as well should be lowered to 18 for all alcoholic beverages in every state and territory.
ReplyDeleteWhile 18 may be better, but in essence I am still against it as a youth rights advocate. There shouldn't be any legal age to use cannabis or alcohol. Refer to Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, age restrictions should be applied very sparingly in a common sense manner for public safety - an example would be how a deaf and blind person is barred from driving. The Constitution is the law in America!
ReplyDeleteIn principle, I largely dig what you are saying. That said, for the primary purpose of pragmatism, Twenty-One Debunked advocates setting the age limits for alcohol, tobacco, and canmabis at 18 for the time being. Even doing that simple step is politically difficult enough in the USA.
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