Drugs: Teen Marijuana Use Continues to Rise

Marijuana use by 8th, 10th and 12th grade students increased in 2010, with more American teenagers now using marijuana than cigarettes for the second year in a row, according to numbers released today by the National Institute of Drug Abuse and the University of Michigan as part of the annual Monitoring the Future survey. In 2010, 21.4 percent of high school seniors used marijuana in the last 30 days, while 19.2 had used cigarettes.

It's really no surprise that more American teenagers are using marijuana and continue to say it's easy to get. Our government has spent decades refusing to regulate marijuana in order to keep it out of the hands of drug dealers who aren't required to check customer ID and have no qualms about selling marijuana to young people, said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project. The continued decline in teen tobacco use is proof that sensible regulations, coupled with honest, and science-based public education can be effective in keeping substances away from young people.

For more, see Teen Marijuana Use Continues to Rise by Mike Meno, December 14, 2010 at MPP Blog. Thank you, Andrew Sullivan.