Using a nationwide survey that involved 88,183 adolescents in grades nine through 12, the results indicate a decline in marijuana usage from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021. Moreover, the percentage of individuals trying marijuana for the first time before the age of 13 dropped from 8.1% to 4.9%. In 2021, the highest rates of use were observed among 12th graders (22.4%) and 11th graders (18.7%). Interestingly, in 2021, girls (17.8%) outpaced boys (13.6%) in reported usage, marking a shift from previous patterns. While Asian, Hispanic, and white adolescents experienced significant reductions in use, Black adolescents exhibited a higher usage rate at 20.5% in 2021, highlighting persistent racial disparities in marijuana consumption.
Marijuana has become one of the most widely used illegal substances among teenagers in the United States. With more states legalizing recreational marijuana for adults and adolescents perceiving it as less risky, monitoring youth marijuana consumption trends is more essential than ever.
Researchers from the Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University conducted an extensive study utilizing data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey collected from 2011 to 2021, involving 88,183 adolescents in grades nine to 12. The study aimed to analyze overall trends in marijuana use, while also looking at differences by gender, race/ethnicity, and grade level. The findings deliver valuable insights into the evolving marijuana landscape among American youth.
Published in the journal Pediatric Reports, one of the most notable results from the study is the significant drop in the percentage of adolescents reporting current marijuana use. In 2011, 23.1% of adolescents indicated they were current users, while this number fell to 15.8% by 2021. Additionally, there was a marked decline in the percentage of adolescents reported to have used marijuana for the first time before age 13, decreasing from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021.
In 2021, marijuana use was most common among 12th graders (22.4%) and 11th graders (18.7%), indicating lower usage among younger grades. Across all grades from 2011 to 2021, there was a noticeable decline in marijuana use, particularly among ninth graders. While the trend was generally decreasing, slight upticks in use were recorded in both 2013 and 2019.
“Although we noted an overall decline from 2011 to 2021 in all grades, older students consistently reported higher usage rates, especially among 12th graders. This trend suggests that as adolescents progress through high school, their access to marijuana may increase, potentially influenced by more developed peer networks and a greater sense of independence,” stated Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, Ph.D., lead author and professor, as well as chair of the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine at FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. “This underscores the importance of focused interventions aimed at older adolescents who may be at a higher risk for regular marijuana use.”
One significant finding of this study is the change in trends by gender, with girls surpassing boys in marijuana use by 2021. Girls reported a higher prevalence of current usage (17.8%) compared to boys (13.6%). This represents a considerable shift from 2011 when boys were more likely to use marijuana (25.9%) than girls (20.1%). The convergence of usage rates among the genders indicates evolving attitudes toward marijuana, possibly reflecting broader societal changes.
Researchers also discovered variations within Asian, Hispanic, and white adolescents, who exhibited some of the steepest declines in current usage. However, in 2021, Black adolescents reported a notably higher rate of current marijuana use at 20.5%, in contrast to their white (14.8%), Hispanic (16.7%), and Asian (5.1%) peers. This points to an ongoing racial disparity in adolescent marijuana use that requires further exploration.
“In the U.S., the current trend of marijuana legalization for adults adds complexity to adolescent marijuana use issues. As more states legalize recreational marijuana, accessibility and normalization of the drug may increase, particularly among adolescents who might associate its legal status with safety or acceptance,” said Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., FACPM, co-author and the first Sir Richard Doll Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine at FAU Schmidt College of Medicine. “Research indicates that legalizing marijuana for adults can impact adolescent behavior by altering perceptions of risk and increasing availability, both of which can hinder efforts to reduce adolescent usage.”
The authors stress the necessity of interventions that promote parent communication, supervision, and modeling, alongside schools providing effective health education and fostering a supportive school environment, to maintain the decline in adolescent marijuana use.
The study findings underscore the importance of ongoing monitoring and intervention strategies to tackle marijuana use among adolescents in the U.S. By targeting the specific needs of different demographic groups—such as varying grade levels, genders, and racial/ethnic communities—public health initiatives can more effectively address the risks associated with adolescent marijuana use and foster healthier outcomes for future generations.
Regular or heavy marijuana use during adolescence can negatively impact cognitive development, leading to academic challenges, issues with working memory, and attention deficits, regardless of a child’s educational background or verbal intelligence. Adolescents who engage in marijuana use are two to three and a half times more likely to achieve lower grade point averages and have a fourfold increase in psychosis diagnoses in adulthood. Studies indicate that marijuana disrupts brain functionality by affecting synaptic pruning, which can result in increased gray matter volume and reduced communication efficiency in higher cognitive functions.
Co-authors of the study include Jack Yang, the first author and a second-year medical student at FAU; Maria C. Mejia, M.D., a professor; and Lea Sacca, Ph.D., an assistant professor, both from the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine at FAU Schmidt College of Medicine.
