Weed use among U.S. teenagers fell dramatically in the 2010s Only 16% of teens reported current use in 2021, down from 23% in 2011 More girls are using weed than boys these days TUESDAY, Oct.
29, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Weed use among U.S. teenagers fell dramatically over the past decade, a new study shows.
By 2021, only about 16% of teens said they were currently using marijuana, down from 23% in 2011, researchers found. All grades experienced a notable decline in current weed use, particularly among ninth graders, researchers said. Further, the percentage of kids who tried weed for the first time prior to age 13 also notably declined, sinking to about 5% in 2021 from 8% in 2011.
Results show that weed use is most prevalent among high school seniors and juniors, with around1 in 5 reporting regular use, 22% and 19% respectively. “While we observed an overall decline from 2011 to 2021 across all grades, older students consistently reported higher usage, particularly 12th graders,” said senior researcher , chair of population health and social medicine with Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine. “This suggests that as adolescents advance through high school, they may have greater access to marijuana, influenced by more developed peer networks and increased independence.
” “This trend highlights the need for targeted interventions aimed at older adolescents, who are at a greater risk of regular marijuana use,” Kinsantas added in a news release. .