New federal data shows that marijuana use among adolescents and young adults has held steady for the fourth consecutive year, even as adult usage continues to climb.
The findings come from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and released in July 2025. The annual report is considered one of the most comprehensive national assessments of substance use trends in the United States.
According to the survey, 6.0% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 and 24.1% of young adults aged 18 to 25 reported using marijuana in the past month, both statistically unchanged from previous years. This lack of growth follows a trend observed since 2021, the first year of the report’s updated data collection methodology.
At the same time, marijuana use among adults aged 26 and older has steadily increased. The percentage of older adults reporting past-month use rose from 12.3% in 2021 to 15.1% in 2024. The report also notes that 15.4% of all Americans ages 12 and older—roughly 44.3 million people—used marijuana in the past month, up from 13.2% in 2021.
The report highlights that nearly 4 million individuals under the age of 21 used marijuana in the past month, but that number has remained largely consistent over the four-year period studied.
The data aligns with recent analyses from other government and academic sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study, both of which have found youth marijuana use to be at or near historic lows.
Advocates say the findings provide further evidence that legalizing and regulating marijuana for adult use does not drive up youth consumption rates.
“States’ real-world experience with adult use marijuana legalization affirms that these policies can be implemented in a way that provides regulated access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano in response to the data. “To date, not a single state that has implemented legalization has reversed course. That’s because these policies are working largely as politicians and voters intended—and because they are preferable to marijuana prohibition.”
A separate analysis by the Marijuana Policy Project earlier this year found that teen marijuana use has declined in nearly every state that has implemented legalization measures.
The full 2024 NSDUH report, including tables and methodological details, is publicly available through SAMHSA.
