Survey: Colorado leads nation in youth marijuana use

For the first time, Colorado ranks first across the country for marijuana use by youths, according to a new federal survey released Friday.

The survey, released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Colorado ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the previous two surveys.

The survey gathered responses from 70,000 people between the ages of 12 and 20. Each participant earned $30.

Experts said the survey results make sense because youths in states with legalized marijuana are exposed to it more and have a greater possibility of using it.

Kimble Gingrich, a senior deputy with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and a school resource officer, said he’s not surprised by the results because it bears out what he hears from students every day.

“I believe that marijuana gets in the way of kids being successful at school,” he said. “But they don’t tell me specifically where they use it, when they use it. They don’t give me the information I need to get in the way of it. Because it’s legal, we have desensitized our kids to the dangers of it.”

However, a marijuana activist said we shouldn’t read too much into what the survey results mean.

“I think that we really have to take a hard look at the data, nationwide,” said Jason Warf, president of the Southern Colorado Cannabis Council. “As with any trend, it’s going to fluctuate up and down.”

Warf said the results simply show that more youths are opting for marijuana over alcohol as a recreational substance.

Better use of marijuana sales revenue set aside for education is a necessity, Warf said.

“That’s not to say what we’re already doing doesn’t work,” he said. “It just means we need to give it more time to work. I’m hoping it includes a lot more thought and input. Young people are smarter than we realize. They don’t buy all of the propaganda that marijuana damages the brain.”

But Kevin Sabet, president of Washington, D.C.-based Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said reputable sources such as the American Medical Association support the position that marijuana is dangerous.

“There is a new industry out there that’s pushing these candies, lollipops, cookies and brownies,” he said. This isn’t your old ’60s pot any more. Those of us in public health are very worried about where this (trend) is going.”