Listener Poll Asks the Question ‘Should We Be Concerned About Marijuana Use By Colorado Teens?’

A new survey indicates that marijuana use at Colorado High Schools seems to have dropped slightly since the approval of recreational pot use for adults. Should we be concerned about teen marijuana use?

According to FOX, the poll was conducted by the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.

The 2015 survey indicates 21.2% of Colorado high school students had used marijuana in the previous 30 days, down from 22% in 2011, and slightly less than the national average.

However, the data seems to contradict data gathered in 2015 by the Department of Health and Human Services, which showed Colorado ranks first in the nation for marijuana use by teens between the ages of 12-17.

Whether the number is up or down, the disconcerting figure to me is that one out of five high school students in Colorado is using marijuana.

Shouldn't we be concerned about that? Do we want the next generation to be a generation of pot heads? Maybe we don't care. Maybe it doesn't matter. Clearly, public opinion of marijuana has changed dramatically in the last 30 years.

According to the Pew Research Center, in 1986 80% of Americans were opposed to marijuana. A 2015 survey shows just 44% of people in opposition to recreational pot.

The wave of public opinion has clearly shifted, and it seems reasonable to expect that with wider acceptance will come more widespread use not only among adults but teens as well.