A recent study published in Pediatric Reports by researchers from Florida Atlantic University provides a comprehensive look into the evolving patterns of marijuana use among U.S. adolescents over the past decade.
Using data from the biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2011 to 2021, which covered 88,183 students in grades 9 through 12, the study highlights a notable downward trend in marijuana use among teens.
The findings reveal that the percentage of adolescents reporting current marijuana use decreased significantly from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021. First-time use before age 13 also saw a marked reduction, dropping from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021.
These declines were particularly pronounced among specific racial and ethnic groups, with Asian, Hispanic, and White adolescents experiencing the sharpest decreases. However, in 2021, Black adolescents reported a higher rate of current marijuana use (20.5%) compared to their White (14.8%), Hispanic (16.7%), and Asian (5.1%) peers.
Gender trends also shifted over the decade. In 2021, female students reported a higher rate of marijuana use (17.8%) than their male counterparts (13.6%), a reversal from 2011, when 25.9% of boys reported using marijuana compared to 20.1% of girls.
Below is the study’s full abstract:
Background: Marijuana is a widely used substance in the United States (US) and worldwide. We explored trends in self-reported marijuana use among US adolescents overall as well as by gender, race/ethnicity, and school grade.
Methods: Biennial data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey from 2011 to 2021 included 88,183 adolescents in grades 9th through 12th. We used percentage change as a measure of effect and the chi-square test for significance. All analyses were conducted at the national level.
Results: The percentage of adolescents who reported current marijuana use dropped significantly from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021 (p < 0.05). The self-report of trying marijuana for the first time before age 13 also decreased significantly from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021 (p < 0.05). For current use, there were similar significant decreases by race/ethnicity, with Asian, Hispanic, and White adolescents experiencing the steepest declines. In 2021, the percentage of Black adolescents self-reporting marijuana use was significantly higher (20.5%) compared to White (14.8%), Hispanic (16.7%), and Asian (5.1%) adolescents. Although current marijuana use declined significantly for both girls and boys over time, in 2021 girls were more likely (17.8%) to currently use marijuana than boys (13.6%). In 2011, the opposite was true, with boys (25.9%) being more likely to use marijuana than girls (20.1%).
Conclusions: In US adolescents in 2021, there were decreases in self-reports of marijuana use compared to 2011. Behavioral interventions within school and family environments may be critical in mitigating the risk of marijuana use.
