A new studyby Oregon State University finds an increase in marijuana use in college students since pot was legalized 2 years ago.
The study surveyed students at an undisclosed large Oregon university before and after legalization. It found students who reported recent heavy drinking were 73 percent more likely to also report marijuana use. The Oregon data was compared to surveys of college students in other states without legal marijuana.
David Kerr, OSU Associate Professor of Psychology, authored the study. He found that across the country, minors are using more marijuana that those 21 and over, this was more pronounced in Oregon, where pot remains illegal for minors.
“So that surprised us because you would think that the law does something by allowing people who couldn’t use legally to now use legally.” Kerr says, “But it seemed to have an impact on people for whom use remained illegal.”
Kerr says more study is needed before he can form conclusions about how legalization is affecting marijuana use in Oregon. The research is published in the journal “Addiction”.
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