New research suggests legalizing marijuana doesn’t make kids abuse the substance or move on to other drugs, Business Insider reports. D. Mark Anderson at Montana State University led the study. According to data from Monitoring The Future, which was cited in the study, marijuana use increased sharply nationwide after 2005. Opponents said this was because of the legalization of medical marijuana in states like California. However, when researchers analyzed information on patients who tested positive for marijuana, the data showed that teens didn’t abuse marijuana more after it was legalized in their home states. For example, teen marijuana use in California, where it’s legal, didn’t spike higher than in Ohio, where it’s not. Marijuana has provided an alternative relief to many patients HIV/AIDS symptoms.

To read the Business Insider article, click here.