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Despite this record-breaking heat wave, it's time to start thinking about the upcoming school year. Today's parents have a lot to navigate — an increasingly online social experience, academic recovery from the COVID years, and a concerning trend of increasing youth depression to name three. But common to past generations, parents will continue to worry about if their kids are using cannabis. And if they are, are they being as safe as possible? These concerns are even more complicated in a world with state-legal adult and medical cannabis.
There is some good news here for parents. When I was cannabis czar for the state of Colorado, I lived in fear that the first reports of cannabis usage for high schoolers would skyrocket. I was as surprised as anybody when the first surveys came back showing no change, or even statistically significant decreases in cannabis usage. That good news kept on coming. With 23 states having a regulated adult-use market, and 38 with medical cannabis programs, studies show that nationally, cannabis use may even be decreasing.
There is strong evidence that a responsible, regulated cannabis market will decrease youth use compared to an illicit market. But cannabis use amongst teens is still high when compared to other substances. What is missing from cannabis policy that is present for these other substances? A strong, unified approach from the federal government that recognizes cannabis exists but does everything it can to keep it away from children. States have led the way, but Congress can take steps to keep cannabis out of the hands of youth.
We need a solution at the federal level; the nonsensical approach of the United States — to pretend cannabis is prohibited while the majority of the U.S. allows for cannabis sales and where cannabis is readily available even in illicit states — does not ensure the product stays out of reach for America's youth. A federal framework for cannabis rooted in science and data would provide communities with additional resources to educate youth, prevent misuse, and combat the illicit market.
The federal government's willful inaction directly affects the capacity of public schools to develop crucial curriculum that educates teachers, trusted adults, and students on cannabis misuse.
Current barriers to research are creating roadblocks to science that can help build community-based educational programs to prevent the start of misuse at an early age. Education to prevent misuse has evolved far beyond the ineffectual "just say no" approach. Sufficient education includes explanations of what is in cannabis and how it may negatively impact a teen's immediate goals in life, what cannabis packaging looks like and how to avoid it, and finally, the dangers of buying and selling in the illicit market.
Placing local communities at the forefront of endeavors to diminish cannabis use and its improper utilization among young individuals is imperative. Afterschool programs cater to an excess of 10 million youths, predominantly hailing from marginalized demographics. Numerous afterschool and school-centered preventive initiatives aspire to bolster an extensive array of life proficiencies, encompassing socio-emotional understanding, self-discipline, and adaptable coping abilities. These proficiencies hold the potential to elevate scholastic accomplishments, favorable social conduct, and diminish problematic behaviors.
Additionally, afterschool programs can furnish a framework for susceptible adolescents who might lack immediate parental oversight following school hours. Consequently, these programs might play a role in lessening the risk elements linked to subsequent cannabis and substance utilization among teenagers. In light of these considerations, it becomes evident that afterschool programs have the capacity to establish the basis for an all-encompassing strategy towards cannabis prevention that addresses the complete well-being of individuals.
The federal government can and should step in with packaging standards — products like gummies should be clearly labeled and should not look like candy that catches the eye of kids. Parents and teachers should also be empowered to identify where cannabis can be hiding in plain sight.
Today, cannabis sale standards don't allow the purchase of cannabis under the age of 21, resulting in America's youth turning to the illicit market to buy and sell. But the deterrent effect would be much more powerful if the market were federally regulated and the industry could displace the illicit market, creating safer products to buy and sell within age requirements.
Congress needs to draw on best practices from the states and enact a framework that can help teens across America steer clear of cannabis. Such a framework would need to lay out policies that create national guidelines for states to follow and decide how their communities tackle youth cannabis use prevention. Communities across the country deserve a fighting chance to protect and educate their youth — it's that simple.