Study: Marijuana Decriminalization in the Czech Republic has had No Effect on Age of Onset of Marijuana Use
According to a new study, the decriminalization of marijuana in the Czech Republic has had no effect on the average starting age of those who consume the plant.
In 2010 the Czech Republic decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis and other drugs. A study being published by the International Journal of Drug Policy, and e-published ahead of print by the U.S. National Institute of Health, has found that this law change has had no effect on the age of onset of marijuana use.
For the study, researchers used “2012 survey data to examine the effect of a change in cannabis policy on the age of onset of cannabis use.” They estimated “the effect of the policy change using a mixed proportional hazards framework that models the transition to first cannabis use.
After examining the data, it was found that the change in cannabis policy “did not affect the transition to first cannabis use.”
Researchers conclude by stating; “We find no evidence of cannabis decriminalization affecting the age of onset of cannabis use.”
Click here for the full study.