Marijuana has emerged as one of the most commonly used illicit substances among adolescents in the United States. Given the rising number of states legalizing recreational marijuana for adults and the decreasing perception of risk among adolescents, tracking trends in youth marijuana use is more crucial than ever. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University's Schmidt College of Medicine conducted a comprehensive study using data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey between 2011 and 2021, which surveyed 88,183 adolescents in grades nine through 12.
Researchers focused on the overall time trends in use of marijuana as well as variations by gender, race/ethnicity, and school grade. These data provide important insights into the changing landscape of marijuana use among American youth. The study, published in the journal Pediatric Reports , reveals that one of the most striking results from the analysis is the significant decrease in the percentage of adolescents reporting current marijuana use.
In 2011, 23.1% of adolescents indicated they were current users, but by 2021, this figure had dropped to 15.8%.
Additionally, the percentage of adolescents trying marijuana for the first time before age 13 also saw a notable decline, from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021.
In 2021, marijuana use was most prevalent among 12th graders (22.4%), followed by 11th graders (18.7%), with lower usage rates in the earlier grades.
From 2011 to 2021, all grades experienced a notable decline in current mar.
