A Descriptive Study of Marijuana Prevention Education in Public Middle and High Schools in Southeastern Colorado

Abstract

Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) education in public schools varies throughout the United States. Marijuana prevention education, a potential component of ATOD education, varies even more so despite the growing number of states legalizing both medical and retail, or recreational, marijuana. Youth use of marijuana remains largely stable, but attitudes toward risk and legalization are changing. Evidence indicates more health risk for youth users as compared with adult users. While health risks are the same from state to state, laws are not, and there is a need for marijuana education in middle and high schools. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of marijuana prevention education in public middle and high schools in Southeastern Colorado through survey data collected from school administrators in the spring of 2017. Results of the survey indicate that even within a state that legalized medical marijuana in 2000 and retail marijuana in 2012, public school districts lack consistency in the nature and extent of providing marijuana education and could use more guidance and resources from state- and federal-level research and practice.