Federally funded survey data from the University of Michigan reveals that teen marijuana use has dropped significantly over the past decade, reaching historic lows.
The annual Monitoring the Future report finds that cannabis use among young people is at a 30-year low, consistent with trends previously reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Over the past decade, during which 24 states have legalized adult-use marijuana sales, the percentage of 8th graders, 10th graders, and 12th graders who reported having ever consumed marijuana decreased by 32%, 37%, and 23%, respectively.
The data also shows declines in more recent use. The percentage of students reporting cannabis use in the past year fell by 38% for 8th graders, 42% for 10th graders, and 26% for 12th graders. Past-month use saw similar drops, declining by 34% among 8th graders, 43% among 10th graders, and 34% among 12th graders.
NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano addressed the findings, stating, “Sensational claims that adult-use legalization laws are linked with greater marijuana use by teens are simply not backed by reliable data. These findings ought to reassure lawmakers that cannabis access can be legally regulated in a manner that is safe, effective, and that does not inadvertently impact young people’s habits.”
Earlier this year, NORML emphasized the long-term downward trend in a syndicated op-ed, writing: “Those wedded to the status quo of cannabis criminalization have long warned that legalizing the marijuana market will result in increased adolescent use. But 10 years following the first states’ decisions to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis sales, data conclusively shows that this fear was unfounded.”
