Answer:
The legalization of recreational marijuana has been a topic of much debate and research. A longitudinal study conducted on college students in two different legalization contexts, Washington State and Wisconsin, found that legalization had the greatest effects on current marijuana users, who are surrounded by a climate that is increasingly supportive of its use. Among prior users, the proportion using in the last 28 days rose faster in Washington after legalization than it did in Wisconsin.
The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of legalizing recreational use on the attitudes, intentions, and marijuana use behaviors of college students in two different legalization contexts. Survey data assessing marijuana attitudes, intentions, and use behavior were collected from 2011 to 2016 on a longitudinal cohort of 338 students at two large public universities in Washington and Wisconsin.
The results showed that ever use, attitude, and intention-to-use scores did not change significantly more in Washington after legalization than in Wisconsin. However, among prior users, the proportion using in the last 28 days rose faster in Washington after legalization than it did in Wisconsin.