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.
The percentage of high-schoolers who identify as current consumers of cannabis fell 26 percent between 2013 and 2023.
The NSDUH data reports that the percentage of those ages 12 to 17 who reported having ever tried marijuana fell 18 percent from 2014 to 2023. Those reporting having consumed cannabis during the past year fell 15 percent. The percentage of teens reporting current marijuana use fell 19 percent.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has once again released their annual survey on “drug use and health” — you know, the one where representatives of the federal government go door-to-door and ask Americans if they are presently breaking state and federal law by using illicit drugs.
The US Government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA) is a treasure trove of information from the National Surveys on Drug Use & Health 2001-2007. I’ve always been uncomfortable discussing most marijuana statistics from this and other reports because the data so often cover marijuana use from age 12 and older.