I would agree. The state I live in (among many other states), moved to reduce penalties for marijuana possession (at the "personal use" level, vs distribution quantities) a few years ago, and I definitely saw a marked increase in students expressing that the government had "legalized marijuana", thereby legitimizing their use of it. So much so that when I do clinical interviews, I have to ask specifically about marijuana use, in addition to "do you use any drugs", just like I ask about alcohol and nicotine. (And, btw, kids are surprisingly honest about this; I get lists of all kinds of things from them, including education about the latest street drugs.)
