Rates of marijuana use among Colorado teens continue to decline more than a decade after voters legalized adult-use marijuana, according to the latest results from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Healthy Kids Colorado Survey.
The 2025 survey found that 9.7% of Colorado high school students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, down from 12.8% in 2021. That represents a 56% drop from 2011, when 22% of high school students reported past-month use, the year before voters approved Amendment 64 to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older.
Colorado’s rate also remains below the national average. According to the latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17% of high school students nationwide report using marijuana in the past 30 days.
The decline is also being seen among middle school students. The survey found that 1.5% of Colorado middle school students reported past-30-day marijuana use in 2025, down from 3% in 2023 and 5.1% in 2013. Lifetime use has also declined among both high school and middle school students in the state.
The survey also found that marijuana is perceived as less accessible by teens. In 2025, 33.5% of Colorado high school students said it would be “sort of easy or very easy to get marijuana if they wanted,” down from 40.4% in 2023 and 54.9% in 2013.
Earlier this year, the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division announced that regulated marijuana businesses in the state had a 99% compliance rate with laws prohibiting underage sales.
“We are extremely pleased to see the rate of cannabis use among teens in Colorado continues to decline and remains lower than the national average,” said Chuck Smith, CEO of Colorado Leads. “More than a decade after legalization, Colorado continues to demonstrate that a well-regulated cannabis market can successfully reduce underage access and protect public health.
“While these long-term trends are promising, we recognize the importance of remaining vigilant and continuing to work alongside other stakeholders to sustain this progress,” Smith continued. “Colorado’s legal cannabis industry remains firmly committed to preventing youth access, as evidenced by consistently high compliance rates for age verification and refusing sales to minors. Together, we will continue building on the success of a regulatory framework that is delivering the outcomes it was designed to achieve.”
Colorado Leads is an alliance of cannabis business leaders focused on educating the public and policymakers about the state’s regulated marijuana industry and its economic contributions.
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