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Cannabis use among teenagers hit at least a 10-year low.
Opponents of cannabis have long claimed that legalizing it for adults would lead to an increase in teen use.
They were wrong, according to a new federal report.
Cannabis use among teenagers dropped from 2019 to 2021, hitting the lowest number in at least a decade. That’s despite more states legalizing its use for medical and recreational use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavioral Survey.
In 2021, 16 percent of high school students reported using cannabis in the past 30 days, compared to 22 percent in 2019.
Between 2011 and 2021, cannabis use declined from 26 percent to 14 percent among male high school students. For female high school students, cannabis use dropped from 20 percent to 18 percent during the same period.
For context, the first states began legalizing adult-use cannabis in 2012. Missouri voters legalized cannabis for medicinal use in 2018 and for adult-use last year. Dispensaries began selling marijuana to those 21 and above earlier this month.
“Female students were more likely than male students to currently use marijuana. Black students were more likely than Asian, Hispanic and White students to currently use marijuana,” the agency said. “LGBQ+ students and students with any same-sex partners were more likely than their peers to currently use marijuana.”
The report provides more evidence that creating legal systems for adults to purchase cannabis does not lead to an increase in use among teenagers.
This story was originally published in our sister paper, the Detroit Metro Times.
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