RI is proving that medical marijuana may not be linked directly to higher teen use of marijuana at all.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- Rhode Island did not find increases in adolescent marijuana use related to the state's 2006 legalization of medical marijuana, researchers say.

Dr. Esther Choo, an emergency medicine physician with Rhode Island Hospital, and co-authors of a study on the issue said state-level legalization of medical marijuana five years ago raised concerns about increased accessibility and appeal of the drug to youth.

The researchers compared trends in adolescent marijuana use in Rhode Island and Massachusetts using the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System between 1997 and 2009.