Decriminalization of Marijuana Linked to Lower Educational Attainment
As more states pass laws allowing the use of medical marijuana, and some are decriminalizing recreational marijuana use, researchers are examining possible negative consequences of loosening these drug policies. Researcher Andrew Plunk and colleagues reported in a 2016 issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence that states where medical marijuana has been legalized have seen dropout rates increase among high school seniors. Educational attainment after high school has decreased as well.
Plunk stressed that while policies that allow medical marijuana and decriminalize recreational marijuana use may have benefits, it is also important to study any possible negative consequences of these policies. He compared marijuana to alcohol and cigarettes, substances that are legal for adults to use but also negatively impact users’ health. Plunk told Medscape Medical News that as marijuana gets approved for medical uses, kids may begin to see the drug as less risky.
Plunk and colleagues used datasets from the US Census and the American Community Survey from 1990 to 2012, which included a total of 5,483,715 people of high school age. Compared to young people in states with no legalized marijuana policies, those in states with medical marijuana had a 0.40 percentage point increase in the probability they would not receive a high school diploma or GED.
Living in a state with medical marijuana was also linked to a 1.84 percentage point increase in the probability of not enrolling in college, and a 0.85 percentage point increase in the probability of not getting a college degree.
While medical marijuana is not prescribed to minors, Plunk and colleagues believe it is easier for adolescents in states where medical marijuana is available to access marijuana that has been prescribed to adults.
Editor’s Note: Heavy marijuana use comes with risks such as doubling of the likelihood of psychosis, hastening the onset of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, increasing cognitive impairment, and changing brain structure.
