Cannabis use by young people has not increased over the past decade, according to an analysis of federal data published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports.
A team of researchers affiliated with the University of Kentucky analyzed data from the federal National Survey on Drug Use and Health for the years 2013 to 2022. Over half a million Americans participated in the survey.
Since 2012, 24 states have legalized marijuana possession and sales for adults.
Consistent with prior assessments, researchers identified an increase in self-reported cannabis use among young adults and older adults (those ages 50-64), but not among teenagers. “Prevalence of cannabis use did not change among youth over time,” the study’s authors concluded.
Commenting on the data, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “These findings should once again reassure lawmakers and the public that legal cannabis access for adults can be regulated in a manner that is safe, effective, and that does not negatively impact young people’s consumption habits.”
Data published in April in the journal JAMA Psychiatry determined that neither the passage of adult-use marijuana legalization laws nor the advent of retail cannabis sales is associated with increased marijuana use by adolescents.
Separate data compiled by researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded that the percentage of high schoolers who report being current marijuana consumers (defined as having used cannabis in the past 30 days) fell 30 percent over the past decade.
The full text of the study, “Prevalence of and trends in current cannabis use among US youth and adults, 2013–2022,” is available online from Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates.’
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