Teens in the first two states to end pot prohibition do not appear any more likely to fall into harder substances, according to a new study, rebuking legalization opponents who have long contended that marijuana is a gateway drug.
The research, published in the March issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, examined data on “adolescents” (ages 12-17), “early emerging adults” (18-20), and “late emerging adults” (21-24) living in Colorado and Washington, where voters in 2012 passed measures legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults.