Do You Know What You Voted for? Young Adults' Knowledge and Perceptions of Marijuana Legislation in WA State

Introduction: In November 2012, Washington (WA) State voters approved an initiative (I-502) that legalized possession of marijuana (MJ) for recreational purposes for use in private among those 21+ and established Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of MJ guidelines. I-502 also required WA State Liquor Control Board to license and regulate sales of MJ through retail outlets. As other states consider shifts in the status of MJ’s legality for medical or recreational use, national focus has been placed on WA to consider lessons learned. With research on alcohol demonstrating policy opposition is related to one’s use, and with the importance of having those impacted by a law knowing what is and is not legal, there are important questions about knowledge of, support for, and perceptions of enforcement of the MJ legislation 1.5 years after its passage. Utilizing a large sample of young adults in WA State, we explored general understanding of and perceptions surrounding federal and state MJ laws and the impact this may have on individual use.

Method. The sample included 819 young adults residing in WA (56.5% identified as female) with a mean age of 19.8 years (sd = .6). Participants were part of an ongoing longitudinal study of the trajectories of alcohol and MJ use during the transition out of high school. Responses from the Spring 2014 survey were used for the present analyses. Participants were asked to select from multiple response options the statement that most accurately captured their own understanding of state law for 6 different domains: legalization status at federal or state level, whether legalization was for medical and/or recreational use as well as for those over 18 vs. 21, how much a person could possess, criteria for DUI, where people can use MJ, and where and how people can purchase MJ.  Participants also rated their attitudes toward various components of federal and state law, as well as perceptions of and support for enforcement of legal stipulations.

Results. Only 5.5% of participants correctly understood all six components of the law, and 39% of participants knew less than half of the guidelines. In general, participants who reported past year MJ use compared to those who did not use had higher knowledge scores and had greater opposition to policy guidelines.

Discussion. Public health implications about the need for education surrounding policy stipulations, as well as continued tracking of the relationships between personal use and knowledge, support, and perceptions of the law will be discussed.