Reports Show Teen Cannabis Use Has Declined Since Pre-Legalization Era

A recent report from the federal government suggests that cannabis use among teens has declined over the past decade as laws legalizing adult-use cannabis sales took hold in the United States. The report, which was published last week by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found that teenagers are significantly less likely to report recent cannabis use than they were before legalization measures began to take hold a decade ago.

The report is based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual survey that tracks substance use among adults and young people in the United States. Results of the latest survey, which was published on July 30, show that cannabis use among young people fell slightly from 2022 to 2023, while overall cannabis use remained fairly steady nationwide.

The results of the NSDUH suggest a significant decline in cannabis use among young people over time. According to the survey data, the percentage of young people aged 12 to 17 who have ever tried cannabis dropped by 18% between 2014, the year recreational cannabis sales began in the U.S., and 2023. Those who reported using cannabis in the last year fell 15%, while the percentage of teens reporting current marijuana use dropped 19%, according to an analysis of the survey from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

Among minors (defined as respondents between the ages of 12 and 20), 18.4% reported using cannabis at least one time during the previous year in 2023, down from 19.2% a year earlier. Use of cannabis during the previous month was reported by 11.3% of minors, compared to 14.6% of minors who reported using alcohol in the past month. 

First Sales of Recreational Cannabis Began 10 Years Ago

Colorado became the first state to legalize recreational cannabis with the passage of Amendment 64 in 2012, leading to the advent of regulated sales to adults in 2014. Since then, 23 additional states have legalized cannabis for adults, giving more than half the adult population nationwide the option to use the plant legally.

Paul Armentano, NORML deputy director, said that the results of the NSDUH survey contradict a claim made by cannabis prohibitionists about the impact of legalization on young people.

“Sensational claims that adult-use legalization laws are linked with greater marijuana use by teens are simply not backed by reliable data,” Armentano said in a statement from the cannabis policy reform advocacy group. “These government 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.”

Results Supported By Separate Survey

The decline in cannabis use among young people identified by the NSDUH is supported by the findings of a separate study published this week. On August 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which showed the proportion of high school students who reported using cannabis during the previous month has declined over the past decade. In 2023,17% of high school students reported using marijuana within the past month, down from 23% in 2013.

Morgan Hill, a spokesperson for Smart & Safe Florida, a group behind a measure to legalize recreational cannabis that will appear on state ballots for the November general election, urged voters not to “let fear-mongering fool you.” 
“The facts are clear. In study after study, we’re seeing teen marijuana use decline when states legalize recreational adult use marijuana,” Hill said in a statement from the group. “These studies are proof that the growing trend of legalization is in fact coming in tandem with declined use among young people across the country.”