Young users receive pro-marijuana tweets everyday

A new study has revealed that marijuana-related Twitter account sent out more than 2,200 messages to some 1 million followers, 73 percent of whom were 19 years old or younger and young users receive such tweets daily.

According to the researchers from Washington University, tweets are cause for concern because young people are thought to be especially responsive to social media influences. In addition, patterns of drug use tend to be established in a person's late teens and early 20s.

The study found that found that of those receiving the tweets, 73 percent were under 19. Fifty-four percent were 17 to 19 years old, and almost 20 percent were 16 or younger. About 22 percent were 20 to 24 years of age. Only 5 percent of the followers were 25 or older.

The researchers also learned that the Twitter account they tracked reached a high number of African-Americans and Hispanics compared with Caucasians. Almost 43 percent were African-American, and nearly 12 percent were Hispanic. In fact, among Hispanics, Weed Tweets ranked in the top 30 percent of all Twitter accounts followed.

Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg said that as more people are becoming more accepting of marijuana use and two states have legalized the drug for recreational use, it is important to remember that it remains a dangerous drug of abuse.

The study was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.