Marijuana Teen Use is Lower Now Than Before It Became Legal in US for Adults
MARIJUANA TEEN USE – According to a recent federal report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the national prevalence of marijuana use over the past year remained relatively stable between 2022 and 2023.
In contrast, the data indicates a slight decline in cannabis use among minors, defined as individuals aged 12 to 20. Despite recent methodological adjustments that complicate longitudinal comparisons, there appears to be a significant decrease in youth marijuana use over the past decade, coinciding with the legalization of cannabis for adult and medical purposes in numerous states.
Specifically, the proportion of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who have ever experimented with marijuana has decreased by 18 percent from 2014, the year when legal recreational cannabis sales commenced in the United States, to 2023. Additionally, both past-year and past-month usage rates among this demographic have also shown a downward trend during the same timeframe.
For adults across all age groups, marijuana continues to be identified as “the most commonly used illicit drug,” as reported in the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), published by the government on Tuesday. Over 21 percent of Americans (21.8 percent) indicated that they had consumed cannabis in the past year, a slight decrease from 22.0 percent in 2022.
The prevalence of binge drinking among Americans in the past month is approximately 21.7 percent. Among individuals aged 12 to 20, 18.4 percent indicated that they had used marijuana at least once in the previous year in 2023, a decrease from 19.2 percent in the prior year. Regarding monthly consumption, 11.3 percent of minors reported using marijuana within the last month, while 14.6 percent of the same group acknowledged alcohol use during that timeframe.
According to SAMHSA, the annual survey offers nationally representative data concerning the use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, as well as substance use disorders, mental health concerns, and the accessibility of treatment for substance use and mental health issues among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 and older in the United States.
The NSDUH data indicates that the proportion of individuals aged 12 to 17 who have ever tried marijuana decreased by 18 percent from 2014 to 2023, with a 15 percent reduction in those who reported using cannabis in the past year. Additionally, the percentage of teenagers currently using marijuana fell by 19 percent.
MASSACHUSETTS – A research study conducted among high school students in Massachusetts revealed that the legalization of marijuana did not lead to an increase in its use among youth. However, there was a notable rise in the number of students who believed their parents consumed cannabis following the policy change.
According to the report published in the journal Clinical Therapeutics, “No statistically significant differences were found in the prevalence of past-30 day cannabis use before and after legalization among adolescents.” Nevertheless, the percentage of students who perceived their parents as cannabis users increased from 18 percent to 24 percent post-legalization.
The study indicates, “Adolescent perceptions of their parents as cannabis users increased after legalization,” occurring even prior to the commencement of state-regulated retail sales.
These findings are based on data collected from two waves of surveys conducted in two eastern Massachusetts high schools in 2016 and 2018. The first survey was administered before legalization, while the second was conducted after legalization took effect but prior to the initiation of retail sales.
When it came to their perception of best friends’ cannabis use, students also reported a slight bump. In 2016, 31 percent of students said they perceived their best friend used marijuana, which climbed to 36 percent in 2018.
