Ok, so you are saying given X minor marijuana user, it would be harder for X to obtain marijuana post legalization vs. pre legalization. That I agree with because X's dealer is willing to break the law to sell to minors while convenience store employees are less likely to.
However, the point is moot because legalizing marijuana increases it's overall availability, image, and appeal and thus you'll have more minors using it overall post legalization.
To illustrate my point, it would be like saying "legalizing marijuana makes it 50% harder for minors to buy it!" but leaving off the "(but also legalization would increase the number of minor users by 10000+%)" part.
All it would take is for Juul to make THC pods and suddenly you have a HUGE adolescent user base essentially using marijuana overnight that didn't exist before legalization.
They have Cannabis concentrate sold in single use 'pods' that attatch to any vape battery with a 510 connector.
I don't think legalization had as large of an effect on the perception and availability of cannabis as you say, part of the reason Colorado was one of the first to legalize is likely due to our already 'positive' image of it. Colorado and other states that legalized all already had medical programs that were commonly abused; either by little restrictions on access (Red cards) or allowing more growing & cultivation than the actual medical population could theoretically consume.
Being from Colorado, I have to say, anecdotally, that usage is up in young adults 18+ is up since it's never been more available and 'tolerated' at Colorado Universities. Dorms are pretty strict if they can smell it but concentrates are much eaiser to conceal and cheaper than edibles & flower. I can comment personally on its effect on minors (<18) but some reports did show it declined in that specific population following legalization (I don'r recall if they reported on the 18-21 population).
> However, the point is moot because legalizing marijuana increases it's overall availability, image, and appeal
Availability, sure; legalization is a product of image and appeal already reaching the level of legal recreational drugs, and there's no reason it would raise it beyond them. Might even reduce the forbidden fruit appeal to minors (but maybe not, because it still be forbidden for them.)
> All it would take is for Juul to make THC pods
Something that is unlikely, at least following the product design and marketing approach that had that effect for nicotine pods (for them or others) if the lawsuits against them for illegal marketing to children with their nicotine pods succeed.
> legalization is a product of image and appeal already reaching the level of legal recreational drugs, and there's no reason it would raise it beyond them
Sure there's a reason. The reason is that legalization opens the way for marketing. Marijuana companies will want to continuously increase its appeal and image via advertising, just like the alcohol industry aggressively does. We've already started seeing medical marijuana adverts online that do just this in places where it is legal.
> Marijuana companies will want to continuously increase its appeal and image
Yes and like other legal recreational drugs it can and certainly will be taxed, with taxes used for addressing problem use including propaganda designed specifically to reduce the drugs image and appeal.
> To illustrate my point, it would be like saying "legalizing marijuana makes it 50% harder for minors to buy it!" but leaving off the "(but also legalization would increase the number of minor users by 10000+%)" part.
However, the point is moot because legalizing marijuana increases it's overall availability, image, and appeal and thus you'll have more minors using it overall post legalization.
To illustrate my point, it would be like saying "legalizing marijuana makes it 50% harder for minors to buy it!" but leaving off the "(but also legalization would increase the number of minor users by 10000+%)" part.
All it would take is for Juul to make THC pods and suddenly you have a HUGE adolescent user base essentially using marijuana overnight that didn't exist before legalization.