Thread by @DrugPolicyOrg

We share the @Surgeon_General's concerns about keeping adolescents & pregnant people safe & healthy. However, we are concerned that his presentation didn’t clearly depict the latest trends because rates of marijuana use among these groups have remained stable or decreased. THREAD

The 2018 Monitoring the Future survey suggests that #marijuana use among 8th, 10th, & 12th graders remains low & stable “despite the changing state marijuana laws during this time period."

According to @SAMHSAgov’s 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released last week, marijuana use among adolescents aged 12-17 has remained low & stable since 2015. Use among adults 18-25 years old stayed stable in 2017 & 2018. Only increases were among adults aged 26+.

@samhsagov Based on these surveys, it appears that public health messaging works & marijuana reforms have not increased rates of marijuana among adolescents aged 12-17. This is a good thing!

@samhsagov Last week’s release of @SAMHSAgov’s 2018 National Survey on Drug Use & Health also reported on marijuana use among pregnant people. The study found a dramatic drop in recent marijuana use among pregnant people between 2017 and 2018, due to public education efforts. (Cont'd...)

The study found that 95% did not use at all while pregnant in 2018.

The @SAMHSAgov’s 2018 National Survey on Drug & Health found that the percentage of pregnant people who reported daily or near daily use of marijuana dropped by one half between 2017 & 2018, again due to successful efforts at public education.

@samhsagov We agree with @SAMHSAgov that the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that substance use during pregnancy “trends in the right direction.” The Surgeon General’s presentation misrepresented the data- the research does not show increases in use among this population.

We are disappointed that the @Surgeon_General chose to misrepresent the facts to raise fears. Marijuana use among adolescents has stayed the same or declined in states where marijuana is legal.

Americans needs more harm reduction & support rather than stigma & fear-mongering.