Will the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Really Make a Big Difference to Those That Already Use the Drug in Denver, Colorado?

Introduction:  In November 2012, voters in Colorado approved the legalization of recreational use of marijuana for persons 21 years of age or older.  The first sales of recreational marijuana occurred on January 1, 2014.  Before recreational sales of marijuana began, we sought to describe current marijuana use, the potential impact of legalization on current marijuana use, and opinions surrounding marijuana use by different age groups.

Methods:  Between July and December of 2013, heterosexuals at increased risk for HIV infection were recruited using respondent-driven sampling as part of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance system in Denver, Colorado.  Persons were eligible if they were between the ages of 18 and 60 and had low socioeconomic status (SES).  Low SES is defined as having income that does not exceed Health and Human Services poverty guidelines or educational attainment not greater than high school.  Participants completed a behavioral survey which included questions regarding current and past marijuana use, their   perceptions regarding how the legalization of recreational marijuana might change their use, and their opinions regarding individuals under 21 and individuals in high school using marijuana.

Results:  Of the 583 participants, 93.5% reported ever using marijuana and 46.3% reported using marijuana within the past 30 days.  With the legalization of recreational marijuana, 22.0% reported that they would be more likely to use marijuana, 29.5% would be less likely, and 48.5% would not change their marijuana use.  When asked their opinions regarding certain age groups using marijuana – specifically those under 21 and those in high school, 26.1% felt it was completely wrong for people under 21 to use marijuana while 30.5% had no opinion, and 49.6% felt it was completely wrong for people in high school to us marijuana while 20.0% had no opinion.

Conclusion:  People in Denver, Colorado are already using marijuana, and legalizing the recreational use of marijuana may not increase their use of the drug.  Additionally, people had strong opinions about certain age groups using marijuana, with almost half of participants feeling that high schoolers using marijuana was completely wrong.  These findings show that people are using marijuana, and the health implications and long-term effects of marijuana use need to be studied further.