1 in 12 Norwegian Teen Non-Users Would Try Cannabis If It Were Decriminalized
8% of Norwegian students who've never used cannabis said they would try it if decriminalized, and 40% of current users said they'd increase use — providing concrete projections for policy planning.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 3,490 Norwegian students, 8% of never-users reported willingness to initiate cannabis if decriminalized and 22.3% were unsure; 40.3% of users would increase use; projections suggest 12,000 new users and 15,400 more frequent users nationally.
Key Numbers
3,490 students; 20.3% lifetime use (38,200 nationally); 8% of non-users willing to initiate; 40.3% of users willing to increase; projections: up to 12,000 new users, 15,400 more frequent users.
How They Did This
Nationally representative survey of 3,490 Norwegian high school students asking about cannabis use and willingness to use under hypothetical decriminalization, scaled to census data with multiple projection scenarios and multinomial regression.
Why This Research Matters
This provides policymakers with concrete numbers for planning — instead of debating whether decriminalization increases use, countries can estimate how many new and escalating users to expect.
The Bigger Picture
The 'willingness to use' methodology is a practical public health tool that any jurisdiction considering policy change could replicate — providing evidence-based projections rather than speculation.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Stated willingness may not predict actual behavior; social desirability may bias responses in either direction; hypothetical scenarios don't capture real-world market dynamics or social norm shifts.
Questions This Raises
- ?How accurately does stated willingness predict actual behavior change?
- ?Would the 22.3% 'unsure' group ultimately initiate use, and at what rate?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Nationally representative survey with multiple projection scenarios and clear methodology, though stated willingness may not match actual behavior.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2026, directly relevant to Norway's ongoing drug policy reform debate.
- Original Title:
- The Role of Self-Reported Willingness to Use Drugs in Public Health Research: Population-Level Projections of Adolescents' Decriminalised Cannabis Use and Associated Risk Profiles.
- Published In:
- Drug and alcohol review, 45(1), e70061 (2026)
- Authors:
- Burdzovic Andreas, Jasmina, Bretteville-Jensen, Anne Line(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08142
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Would decriminalization lead more teens to try cannabis?
This survey suggests yes — 8% of teen non-users in Norway said they would try cannabis if decriminalized, with another 22% unsure, potentially adding up to 12,000 new users nationally.
Would current users increase their consumption?
40% of current users said they would increase use under decriminalization, potentially creating 15,400 more frequent users nationally among Norwegian high school students.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08142APA
Burdzovic Andreas, Jasmina; Bretteville-Jensen, Anne Line. (2026). The Role of Self-Reported Willingness to Use Drugs in Public Health Research: Population-Level Projections of Adolescents' Decriminalised Cannabis Use and Associated Risk Profiles.. Drug and alcohol review, 45(1), e70061. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.70061
MLA
Burdzovic Andreas, Jasmina, et al. "The Role of Self-Reported Willingness to Use Drugs in Public Health Research: Population-Level Projections of Adolescents' Decriminalised Cannabis Use and Associated Risk Profiles.." Drug and alcohol review, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.70061
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "The Role of Self-Reported Willingness to Use Drugs in Public..." RTHC-08142. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/burdzovic-2026-the-role-of-selfreported
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.