- EVIDENCE-BASED FACT CHECKING
Myth v. Fact: Setting the Record Straight on Cannabis Policy
Common misconceptions about cannabis legalization persist — even as evidence from legal states tells a different story. Here's what the data actually shows.
Myth 1: "Cannabis is a Gateway Drug"
| Myth | Fact | "Cannabis use inevitably leads to harder drugs." | The gateway theory has been repeatedly debunked by federal health agencies. |
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- The United States Department of Health and Human Services has twice determined that cannabis is not a precursor of any other controlled substance.
- States with medical cannabis laws from 2010 to 2015 saw Medicare Part D prescriptions for opioids decrease by 3.74 million daily doses per year when medical dispensaries opened.
- On average, as of 2024, patients receiving opioid prescriptions fell by 16% in states that had legalized medical cannabis.
Myth 2: "Cannabis Legalization Leads to Increased Youth Usage"
| Myth | Fact | "Making cannabis legal will cause teen use to skyrocket." | Youth cannabis use has declined significantly in legal states and nationwide. |
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- In Washington State, one of the first states to legalize cannabis for non-medical purposes, there was a significant decrease in the prevalence of current and frequent cannabis use among students in grades 8, 10, and 12 between 2008 and 2021.
- Nationwide, despite an increasing number of states passing medical and adult use cannabis laws, youth cannabis use decreased significantly in 2021, including a drop of 28% to 17.3% in 10th graders, and a drop of 11.4% to 7.1% for eighth graders.
- Between 2012 and 2024, the percentage of 12th graders reporting having ever used cannabis fell 23 percent. Among 10th graders, it fell 35 percent. Among 8th graders, lifetime use fell 17 percent.
Myth 3: "Cannabis Rescheduling Will Create More Dangerous Roads"
| Myth | Fact | "Rescheduling cannabis will allow impaired drivers to operate vehicles legally." | DOT regulations prohibit cannabis use by safety-sensitive employees regardless of scheduling. |
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- Rescheduling does not impact Department of Transportation drug screening rules as cannabis is listed by name rather than Schedule in DOT screening regulations. Use of cannabis by safety sensitive employees including pilots, school bus drivers, truck drivers, ship captains and others remains prohibited.
- Although DOT screening regulations are not impacted, it is imperative that the cannabis industry works with federal regulators to develop effective roadside impairment tests. NHTSA and DOT are limited in the research they can undertake for impairment testing due to the Schedule I status of cannabis.
Myth 4: "Cannabis Legalization Leads to Increased Crime"
| Myth | Fact | "Legal cannabis markets cause violent crime to rise." | Cannabis legalization reduces violent and property crimes, especially near the Mexican border. |
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- In states that border Mexico, cannabis legalization has correlated with reduced violent crime by undercutting cross-border trafficking. More broadly, legalization has not produced the increases in violent or property crime that opponents predicted.
- When viewing non-border states, data is inconclusive. In a 2021 report, the CATO Institute analyzed data compiled by the FBI on violent crime rates for 13 states with mature, regulated cannabis markets. It found that most of those states saw trends in their per capita violent crime rates that were similar to the national average. Alaska and Massachusetts had significant increases in violent crime compared to the national average, while violent crime rates in Maine and Nevada dropped by larger amounts.
- However, because the industry is still forced to operate in cash, property crimes such as burglary persist at regulated dispensaries.
Myth 5: "Legalization Only Helps the Illicit Market"
| Myth | Fact | "Legal cannabis just strengthens illegal dealers and cartels." | Legal states have collected over $25 billion in tax revenue that directly supports communities. |
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- Legal cannabis states have collected over $25 billion in combined tax revenue since sales began in 2014. This tax revenue went to education, substance abuse treatment, law enforcement programs, infrastructure projects, and other areas of public good.
Myth 6: "Neighborhoods with Cannabis Dispensaries are Undesirable"
| Myth | Fact | "Cannabis dispensaries lower property values and harm communities." | Cannabis legalization correlates with higher home property values. |
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- Cannabis legalization correlates with higher home property values — between 2009 and 2024, home values increased by approximately $60,327 more in states that had legalized cannabis than in states that had not.