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Philadelphia, PA: Those between the ages of 18 and 20 show no uptick in their use of cannabis following the adoption of statewide adult-use legalization, according to data published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

Researchers affiliated with Drexel University in Philadelphia assessed cannabis use trends in Los Angeles, California in two separate cohorts of subjects between the ages of 18 and 20. The first cohort was assessed during the years immediately prior to the adoption of adult-use legalization in California. The second cohort was assessed in 2019-2020. (California voters legalized marijuana in November 2016; retail sales began the following January.) Participants in both cohorts reported being current cannabis consumers prior to their enrollment in the study.

Investigators failed to identify any significant differences in cannabis use frequency between the two groups. However, those in the latter cohort were less likely to report consuming either alcohol or cigarettes.

The study’s authors concluded: “Despite purported greater access to cannabis during the post-AUL [adult-use legalization] period in Los Angeles, California, no significant differences in cannabis use frequency among 18–20-year-old cannabis users were observed. ... Also, the post-AUL cohort reported fewer days of alcohol and cigarette use, suggesting the possibility of a protective effect offered by cannabis. .... Future studies should monitor whether stable rates of cannabis use and declines in alcohol and cigarette use will be sustained as some participants reach legal age to access these substances for adult use, and how these trends continue or alter as participants enter later emerging adulthood.”

The study’s findings are consistent with those of several others similarly finding no significant uptick in cannabis use by young people following adult-use legalization.

Full text of the study, “Pre-post cannabis legalization for adult use: Trend study of two cohorts of young cannabis users in Los Angeles,” appears in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.

Study: Nighttime Cannabis Use Associated With Improved Sleep Quality

Haifa, Israel: Cannabis use prior to bedtime is associated with improved sleep quality, according to data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review.

Israeli investigators assessed the relationship between cannabis and self-reported sleep quality in a cohort of 347 subjects who reported suffering from anxiety. Subjects reported their quality of sleep each morning for 30 days.

Researchers reported: “Cannabis use [was] ... linked to higher perceived sleep quality versus non-use. ... These findings add to the emerging evidence of cannabis’s sleep-enhancing properties.”

The survey’s findings are consistent with those of others concluding that consumers frequently use cannabis to mitigate sleep disorders, including insomnia, and that moderate doses of cannabis improve sleep quality. Data published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine previously reported that the enactment of adult-use marijuana legalization laws is associated with a significant reduction in the sales of over-the-counter sleep aids among the general public.

Full text of the study, “Daily diary study of associations between alcohol, cannabis, co-use and sleep quality in individuals with intentions to use cannabis to cope with anxiety,” appears in Drug and Alcohol Review.

Florida: Majority of Voters Approve of Proposed Adult-Use Legalization Ballot Measure

Tallahassee, FL: Sixty-seven percent of Florida voters support a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize the adult-use possession and retail sale of marijuana, according to statewide polling data compiled by the University of North Florida.

Pollsters reported that 78 percent of Democrats, 69 percent of non-affiliated voters, and 55 percent of Republicans back the plan. Support is strongest among younger voters (86 percent). Most seniors (51 percent) also endorse the plan.

Advocates for the proposed amendment, Smart & Safe Florida, have already collected a sufficient number of signatures to place it on the 2024 ballot. However, the state’s Attorney General, Republican Ashley Moody, has asked the Supreme Court to disqualify the measure. The Court heard oral arguments in the case last month.

Florida’s Attorney General successfully brought suit in 2021 to keep a similar initiative off the 2022 ballot.

The proposed initiative, which has been primarily funded by the marijuana retail company Trulieve, allows adults to possess up to three ounces of cannabis. It permits existing state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries to serve the adult-use market, and it would authorize -- but not require -- lawmakers to license additional marijuana businesses.

Additional information is available from Smart & Safe Florida.

New Hampshire: Task Force Fails To Find Consensus on 2024 Legislative Legalization Plan

Concord, NH: Members of a state-appointed commission tasked with studying the feasibility of regulating adult-use cannabis sales in state-owned stores failed to issue policy recommendations in its final report to lawmakers.

Lawmakers in August enacted legislation establishing the task force after Republican Gov. Chris Sununu voiced support for potentially legalizing adult-use cannabis sales through state-owned stores. (State law mandates that retail sales of wine and spirits take place exclusively in state-owned ABC outlets.) The Governor had previously been an outspoken critic of legalization.

Those on the 19-member commission failed to achieve consensus on a model distribution system for cannabis sales and also failed to agree upon a number of related issues, such as proposed THC potency caps, public use penalties, and whether or not to allow adults to engage in personal home cultivation.

Currently, the possession of limited amounts of marijuana (up to ¾ of one ounce) is a civil violation in New Hampshire. It is the only state in New England that has not legalized marijuana possession and sales.