title: Cannabis decriminalization and the age of onset of cannabis use.
abstract: In the Czech Republic in 2010 a law was introduced decriminalizing personal possession of small quantities of several illicit drugs, including cannabis.
  
  
  
  We use 2012 survey data to examine the effect of a change in cannabis policy on the age of onset of cannabis use. We estimate the effect of the policy change using a mixed proportional hazards framework that models the transition to first cannabis use.
  
  
  
  The change in cannabis policy did not affect the transition to first cannabis use.
  
  
  
  We find no evidence of cannabis decriminalization affecting the age of onset of cannabis use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, CentER, Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jakub
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Červený
authors.affiliation: National Monitoring Center for Drugs and Addiction, The Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chomynová
authors.affiliation: National Monitoring Center for Drugs and Addiction, The Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic; Department of Addictology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mravčík
authors.affiliation: Erasmus School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Economics, University of Melbourne, Australia; Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam/Rotterdam, The Netherlands; CEPR, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: vanours@ese.eur.nl.
authors.forename: Jan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: van Ours
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007880:Legislation, Drug; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs
keywords: Age of onset; Cannabis; Decriminalization