According to a new study published by the CDC, teen marijuana usage has been declining steadily since dispensaries started opening. Even as more states start to legalize the drug, those in high school are consuming less of it. The study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey published last week showed that teen use of all monitored substances such as cannabis, alcohol and other prescription drugs has been “decreasing linearly” over the last decade.
From 2009-2013 teen cannabis use was trending upwards rapidly. This was way before marijuana dispensaries were opening. Since then, the rates have been steadily declining. The first state recreational laws were enacted in 2012 with dispensaries opening in 2014. Roughly 15.8% of students reported using marijuana at least once within the last 30 days in 2021. This is down from 21.7% in 2009 and 23.4% in 2013.
Health officials believe this downward trend could be a mix of dispensaries, legal weed, and other things such as the COVID-19 virus that struck the globe. Lifetime usage has also been decreasing. According to the study, only 27.8% of teens reported using cannabis once in their lives. In 2019 this number was roughly 36.8%.
New CDC data available: See the latest data on health risks and experiences among U.S. high school students. #CDCYRBS https://t.co/ileEb4Od54
— CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (@CDC_DASH) May 1, 2023
“Youth substance use has declined over the past decade, including during the COVID-19 pandemic…however, substance use remains common among U.S. high school students, and continued monitoring is important in the context of the changing marketplaces for alcohol beverage products and other drugs.” Said the CDC report.
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