Will more youth go to pot?

Even though it had moments when it veered close to invoking the spirit of that camp movie classic “Reefer Madness,” we think state Rep. Andy Olson and other Linn County officials raised some important issues during their Thursday night meeting on marijuana.

Olson and other officials are concerned that marijuana use among juveniles may increase now that recreational use of pot is legal in Oregon in the wake of Measure 91.

That’s a legitimate concern, especially as evidence begins to mount that the drug has outsized effects on developing brains. A 2014 story from NPR reported on a growing number of studies concluding that regular marijuana use (defined as once a month or so) changes the structure of the teenage brain, specifically in areas dealing with memory and problem solving. (As efforts to legalize marijuana gain steam throughout the nation, this is an area that could benefit from additional study, not to mention federal research dollars.)

A recent federal study found that 60 percent of high school seniors believed that marijuana is safe, and 23 percent said they’ve used marijuana in the last month — more than those who used alcohol or smoked cigarettes.

Of course, Measure 91 doesn’t make it legal for minors to smoke marijuana; in fact, the measure made it clear that legalization applied only to adults. But the question remains: Will the growth of recreational pot use in Oregon make it easier for teenagers to access weed?

On that question, the jury still is out, in part because we’re only a few months into legalization - and sales of marijuana still aren’t legal. (That will start to change on Oct. 1, when medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed to sell the drug for recreational use, but any responsible dispensary will be stringent about ensuring that it’s not selling to minors.

Our guess is that teens who use marijuana still will rely on the same sources they use now to get the drug, even as marijuana sales become commonplace. And let’s be honest: It may be easier now for teenagers to get marijuana than it is for them to buy alcohol.)

Linn County had 80 youth referrals for marijuana last year; county officials expect that number to increase this year, and it will be interesting to track the trend.

A related area may prove to be even more troublesome: edible products, such as cookies and candies and sodas, that can contain unexpectedly high doses of tetrahydrocannabinol, the drug’s mild-altering ingredient. (The federal Centers for Disease Control says that 45 percent of all marijuana sales in Colorado, one of the states that has pioneered legalization, involve edible marijuana.)

Since edibles take much longer to affect the body than smoked marijuana, that increases the risk of overdose, especially with new users. Here’s an area where the state is going to have to exercise some stringent oversight.

The bottom line: We still have plenty of questions to answer as we continue down the path of legalization. Olson and his colleagues are asking some of the right questions.