Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, 1876 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Int J Drug Policy. 2018 Jun;56:116-120. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2018.03.011. Epub 2018 Apr 5.
In 2012, Colorado became one of the first two U.S. States to legalize cannabis for recreational use for adults 21 and older. Given that cannabis use holds potential physical and mental health risks, particularly among adolescent users, concerns have grown regarding changes in use following this change in policy. Studies examining medical cannabis legalization have found inconsistent changes in cannabis use and prevalence of dependence following medical implementation. However, recreational legalization holds potential unique changes, such as increased availability and social acceptance, as well as decreased price and perceived harm of use. There also may be increased interest in moving to Colorado related to the changes in cannabis laws. Based on past literature, two hypotheses were made for this study. First, college student cannabis use would increase after recreational legalization, however just for those 21 years old and older. Second, there would be a positive relation between the influence of cannabis legislation on out-of-State student's decision to attend a Colorado university and their cannabis use. Data from 5241 undergraduate students was available to test study hypotheses using Pearson's Chi-square, negative binomial regressions, and path analysis. Results indicated that cannabis use increased since recreational legalization for all students, but more so for those over 21 years. No differences in past month use frequency were found between pre- and post-legalization. Influence of cannabis laws on non-resident student's decision to attend a Colorado college predicted lifetime and past 30-day use. Additionally, out-of-State students reported higher past 30-day use than in-State students. These findings may help inform other States considering recreational legalization of potential outcomes, as well as potential interventions.
2012 年，科罗拉多州成为美国最早将娱乐用大麻合法化的两个州之一，适用人群为 21 岁及以上成年人。鉴于大麻的使用可能对身心健康造成风险，尤其是在青少年使用者中，人们对这一政策变化后使用情况的变化表示担忧。研究表明，在实施医疗用大麻合法化后，大麻的使用和依赖的普遍性存在不一致的变化。然而，娱乐用大麻合法化可能带来独特的变化，例如增加可用性和社会接受度，降低价格和使用的危害性。此外，与大麻法律的变化相关，可能会有更多人对迁往科罗拉多州产生兴趣。基于过去的文献，本研究提出了两个假设。首先，娱乐用大麻合法化后，大学生大麻使用量会增加，但仅适用于 21 岁及以上的学生。其次，大麻立法对州外学生决定入读科罗拉多大学的影响与他们的大麻使用之间存在正相关关系。本研究使用 Pearson's Chi-square、负二项回归和路径分析，对 5241 名本科生的数据进行了分析，以检验研究假设。结果表明，所有学生的大麻使用量自娱乐用大麻合法化以来有所增加，但 21 岁以上学生的增加更为明显。合法化前后，大麻的月使用频率没有差异。大麻法律对非居民学生决定入读科罗拉多大学的影响预测了终生和过去 30 天的使用情况。此外，州外学生报告的过去 30 天使用量高于州内学生。这些发现可能有助于为其他考虑娱乐用大麻合法化的州提供潜在结果的信息，以及潜在的干预措施。
