Marijuana Facts – Who’s got the correct answers?

(Winter 2016) Confusion about the safety of marijuana can be the result of looking at different data from different perspectives.  Such is the case with the contrary perspectives about youth use resulting from two recently published studies.

The pro-legalization, Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) argues, youth-use results have been positive in the few states that have legalized marijuana.  Anti-legalization organization, Project SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), decries legalization is the source of problems, including above-average escalation of teen marijuana usage in Colorado and Washington following the states’ legalization moves.

SAM says that its perspective is more responsible because it is based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is the national representative survey of drug prevalence sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The DPA relies on Colorado Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) that SAM says is selective data that excludes some counties and schools and dropouts.  SAM states that the Centers for Disease Control refuses to use the CHKS because it is not eligible.

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