Criminal justice referrals to cannabis use disorder treatment declined among adolescents and young adults following state recreational cannabis legalization.
Criminal justice professionals, youth treatment providers, cannabis policy researchers, and juvenile justice advocates.
Declining CJ referralsCriminal justice referrals to CUD treatment decreased for ages 12-24 after recreational legalization
What the researchers found
The proportion of CUD treatment referrals from the criminal justice system declined after recreational cannabis legalization for both adolescents (12-17) and young adults (18-24), reflecting changing enforcement patterns.
Why it matters
Many youth enter cannabis treatment through criminal justice mandates rather than clinical need. Declining criminal justice referrals after legalization may reflect more appropriate treatment allocation or may reduce treatment access for some youth.
The numbers in context
The study examined criminal justice referral proportions for CUD treatment among adolescents (12-17) and young adults (18-24) before and after state recreational legalization.
How the study worked
Policy analysis examining changes in criminal justice referral proportions to CUD treatment following state recreational cannabis legalization.
Who was studied
Adolescents (12-17) and young adults (18-24) referred to CUD treatment in states before and after recreational cannabis legalization.
What this study cannot tell us
Treatment system data may not capture all CUD cases; referral changes could reflect enforcement, legislative, or treatment system changes; state variation in implementation.
How to read the evidence
Policy analysis of treatment system data; provides strong descriptive evidence of referral pattern changes.
When this study was published
Recent analysis capturing early effects of recreational legalization on treatment pathways.
The bigger picture
This study reveals an important secondary effect of legalization: changing the pathways through which young people enter treatment, potentially shifting from punitive to health-based approaches.
Replication
Important policy evaluation; complements other legalization impact studies.
Funding
Not specified
Conflicts of interest
Not specified
Questions still open
- Are fewer youth receiving needed treatment post-legalization?
- Have voluntary treatment referrals increased to compensate?
- Does decriminalization without legalization show similar patterns?
Read the original research
Criminal Justice Referrals to Cannabis Use Disorder Treatment among Adolescents and Young Adults following Recreational Cannabis Legalization in the United States.
Journal of addiction medicine, 17(6), 725-728
Citation
Mennis, Jeremy; Stahler, Gerald J; McKeon, Thomas P. (2023). Criminal Justice Referrals to Cannabis Use Disorder Treatment among Adolescents and Young Adults following Recreational Cannabis Legalization in the United States.. Journal of addiction medicine, 17(6), 725-728. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001219