Support for Youth-Protective Marijuana Regulations: Evidence From a National Survey of Registered Voters.

Richter L.; Pugh B.; Oster R. · The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2026

**Background & Methods** This study examined public attitudes toward marijuana regulation through a national online survey of 1,458 registered voters conducted in fall 2022. Using multinomial logistic regression analysis, researchers assessed how support for recreational legalization and beliefs about youth-protective regulations influenced support for strict controls on marijuana advertising, promotion, packaging, and sales in legalized states. **Key Findings** • Respondents supporting recreational marijuana legalization were significantly less likely to support strict regulatory frameworks governing marijuana marketing and sales, suggesting a tension between legalization support and regulatory stringency. • Voters who agreed that policymakers should strengthen regulations to protect adolescents were substantially more likely to support strict marijuana regulations across all demographic groups, independent of legalization stance. • Framing marijuana policy discussions around youth protection appears effective in building cross-demographic consensus for stronger regulatory measures, even among those favoring legalization. **Dosage & Administration** Not reported. **Safety & Adverse Effects** Not reported. The study references growing concerns about effects of commercialization and high-potency marijuana products on young people as motivation for the research, but does not assess or measure specific adverse effects. **Evidence Quality** This is a cross-sectional survey study representing a moderate level of evidence. Key limitations include: reliance on self-reported attitudes rather than behavioral outcomes; survey conducted in fall 2022, potentially limiting contemporary relevance; online survey methodology may introduce selection bias; lack of longitudinal follow-up to assess whether expressed support translates to policy action; and inability to establish causation between attitudes and actual regulatory outcomes. The study provides valuable insight into public opinion dynamics but lacks the experimental rigor or long-term follow-up necessary for higher evidence grades. Results are generalizable only to registered voters in the United States during the survey period. The findings represent descriptive epidemiology of public attitudes rather than clinical or biological evidence regarding marijuana's actual effects on youth.

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