Teen Drug Use Declining Since Inception of AZ Medical Marijuana Act

The Arizona Medical Marijuana Act was legalized in 2010. At that time, many parents and politicians furiously argued that the legalization of medical marijuana in Arizona would cause teen drug use to increase. Fortunately, they were wrong.

In a recent study of 8th-12th graders, the Arizona Youth Survey, found that teen drug use has decreased since 2010. The study was conducted by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission at involved 60,000 students from all Arizona counties.

Will Humble, the Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services who enforces the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act, said he was “encouraged” that the survey revealed a drop in all substances abused by teens.