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Negative attitudes toward marijuana use have gradually softened, and its availability in the U.S. has increased through decriminalization and legalization of medicalized and recreational use. These researchers examined seven outcomes of teenagers' marijuana use before age 17 by analyzing participant-level data from three longitudinal Australian and New Zealand studies (depending on the outcome, N=2537–3765). Participants were followed up to age 30.
In analyses controlling for key social confounding factors, including parental and peer variables, a dose–response relationship was found between use frequency and dropout from high school, failure to get a college degree, marijuana dependence, use of illicit drugs, and suicide attempts. Initial f…