I do not think that the legalization of marijuana will have a negative impact on teenagers- instead, I feel it will do quite the opposite. .
Methods.
For my research question I asked, "Since Washington's legalization of marijuana in 2012, do you believe it has led to increased marijuana use among teenagers?" I took the survey to fellow classmates from different class periods and also to some faculty. Participants of the survey answered the research question by circling yes, no, or other as well as two other demographic identifiers in which the participants circled their appropriate age group (16-25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55) and then circled the race with which they identify (Black, White, Asian, Latino/a, Other). I felt that using I wide range in the age groups would help the participants from feeling pressure in reporting their age. For the yes/no/other response option I wanted to offer simple options that did not require subjects to offer any details, rather a general opinion on the matter. For the race identifier I was aiming for an idea of how culture influences responses to obtain a better understanding of how someone's background may influence the results.
Results.
Results showed that the younger White demographic had the highest number of responses saying that marijuana is not harming teens, while the younger Asian demographic had the highest number of responses indicating that marijuana is harming teens. The middle age (36-45) and older (46-55) demographics indicate a lower number of responses saying that the legalization of marijuana has not led to increased use of marijuana among teenagers. The youngest demographic (16-25) reported the highest number of responses saying legal marijuana was not affecting teenagers. .
Discussion.
I was not stunned at the results from the survey. The youngest groups of participants (16-25), those from my generation, overwhelmingly do not feel that the legalization of marijuana hasn't led to increased use among teens.
