We should regulate marijuana so we can better control it.  With proper regulation, we can monitor quality and safety and make it much harder for kids to get their hands on it.  

 

This may seem counterintuitive — wouldn't kids have better access if marijuana were legalized and, therefore, more publicly available? — but that's not necessarily true.  It's already readily available to kids.  According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 39 percent of high school students report they have used marijuana one or more times, and the University of Michigan reports that 80 percent of 12th graders say it is already easy for them to get marijuana if they wanted some.  The positive news is that the number of kids who approve of marijuana has declined some since 2007 or 2008, and disapproval of regular use "still remains quite high with 81 percent, 70 percent, and 65 percent in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades, respectively."  Read the entire report here.

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That said, this only works if the states that legalize marijuana have a sustainable strategy.  In California, where recreational marijuana officially became legal in January 2018, the legalization rollout has been less than impressive.  Government officials had predicted the state would enjoy at least $185 million from excise and cultivation taxes in the first six months of 2018, but the actual number was just $82 million.  This missed financial forecast seems to suggest that there is still a flourishing black market in California, which is a problem because one of the most effective arguments for legalizing marijuana is that it will diminish the black market. 

 

Of course, this is not necessarily all of the state of California's fault.  After all, it will certainly be an uphill battle to get marijuana farmers — who have operated for years without taxes and regulation — to comply with new, more restricting rules.  For one, it makes it much more expensive to grow their product.  Add to that the fact that many areas in California have banned commercial marijuana shops and/or added additional taxes, which creates a natural deterrent for coming out of the shadows.  We'll keep our eye on this.....

  

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Evidence:

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United States.  Department of Health and Human Services.  "United States Adolescent Substance Abuse Facts:  Marijuana Use Among High School
   Students."  20 Oct 2018

Lloyd D. Johnston, Richard A. Miech, Patrick M. O’Malley, Jerald G. Bachman, John E. Schulenberg, and Megan E. Patrick.  "2017 Overview:  Key Findings
   on Adolescent Drug Use."  Monitoring the Future, University of Michigan.

Michael R. Blood.  "Pot Taxes Pick Up in California But Still Far Off Target."  Associated Press.  15 Aug 2018