{"id":39879,"date":"2025-10-13T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T10:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?p=39879"},"modified":"2025-10-13T14:56:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T18:56:32","slug":"are-teens-and-young-adults-smoking-more-or-less-cannabis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/are-teens-and-young-adults-smoking-more-or-less-cannabis\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Teens and Young Adults Smoking More or Less Weed?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the most <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bakerinstitute.org\/research\/marijuana-reform-fears-and-facts#:~:text=Fear%20of%20increased%20teen%20use%20stems%20from%20the%20expectation%20that%20the%20main%20reform%20options%E2%80%94decriminalization%2C%20medical%20marijuana%2C%20or%20legal%20recreational%20use%E2%80%94will%20increase%20access%20to%20marijuana%20or%20lead%20teens%20to%20think%20that%20using%20it%20is%20acceptable%20social%20practice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">common fears<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> we hear cited by lawmakers and anti-cannabis advocates is that legalization will lead to more use among teenagers. But these fears aren\u2019t always rooted in facts and tend to perpetuate existing stigmas about cannabis use. With close to half of the U.S. states providing legal recreational cannabis, we wonder: are teens and young adults smoking more or less weed?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>A Recent Federal Survey\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) recently reported <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/norml.org\/blog\/2025\/08\/05\/federal-survey-no-changes-in-marijuana-use-by-adolescents-young-adults\/#:~:text=Marijuana%20use%20by%20teens%20and%20young%20adults%20has%20remained%20unchanged%20over%20the%20past%20four%20years%2C%20according%20to%20data%20provided%20last%20week%20by%20the%20federal%20agency%20SAMHSA%20(Substance%20Abuse%20and%20Mental%20Health%20Services%20Administration).\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">no changes in teen and young adult marijuana<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> use over the last four years, according to data from the federal agency <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The SAMHSA data comes from a 2024 national survey, which looked at the cannabis use habits of people ages 12 to 25. NORML says that the data is consistent with findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the University of Michigan, which found that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/norml.org\/blog\/2025\/08\/05\/federal-survey-no-changes-in-marijuana-use-by-adolescents-young-adults\/#:~:text=cannabis%20use%20by%20young%20people%20has%20fallen%20to%20historic%20lows.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">cannabis use among young people is at a historic low.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> In contrast, self-reported use among people <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/norml.org\/blog\/2024\/09\/13\/survey-rising-percentage-of-older-adults-are-turning-to-cannabis\/#:~:text=The%20findings%20represent%20an%20uptick%20from%20past%20years%2C\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">26 years and older has increased.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Historic Lows in Teen Cannabis Use\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to data from the Monitoring the Future, the reported number of young students who have <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ever tried cannabis<\/span><\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/norml.org\/blog\/2024\/12\/17\/federally-funded-survey-marijuana-use-by-teens-is-at-historic-lows\/#:~:text=In%20the%20past,34%20percent%20respectively.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">significantly declined<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in the past decade. For 8th graders, self-reported use dropped by 32%. Reported use among 10th graders dropped by 37%. Among 12th graders, reported use dropped by 23%.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Among the 8th, 10th, and 12th graders surveyed, reported cannabis use in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">last month<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> declined 34%, 43%, and 34%, respectively.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While teen cannabis use has been on a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/monitoringthefuture.org\/data\/bx-by\/drug-prevalence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">steep decline over the past decade<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, another change has been taking place: 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The National Institutes of Health shared a press release with the data, calling the decline in teen substance use \u201cunprecedented.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-39881\" src=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-1-300x200.png\" alt=\"teens\" width=\"643\" height=\"428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-1-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-1-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-1-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-1.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Gen Z Cannabis Trends<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to our own <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/report-gen-z-would-rather-smoke-cannabis-than-consume-alcohol\/#:~:text=Up%20to%2060,generation%20ever%20recorded\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Veriheal survey data<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, Gen Z appears to be a very cannabis-friendly generation. Our team surveyed thousands of medical marijuana patients between the ages of 15 and 27. All of the respondents signed up for our services between March 2023 and April 2024. We also supplemented the data with 2022 findings from New Frontier Data.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here\u2019s what we found:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Up to 60% of respondents rarely or never drink alcohol and prefer to use cannabis\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gen Z primarily uses cannabis for happier moods, feelings of relaxation, and relief from pain\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gen Z is the most cannabis-friendly generation in recorded history<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, a recent survey from Drug Rehab USA found that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/drugrehabus.org\/after-work-substance-trends\/#:~:text=24%25%20of%20Americans%20have%20at%20least%20partially%20replaced%20alcohol%20with%20non%2Dalcoholic%20or%20cannabis%20drinks%2C%20led%20by%20Gen%20Z%20and%20millennials%2C%201%20in%203%20of%20whom%20now%20regularly%20drink%20THC%2Dbased%20beverages.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">24% of Americans have partially replaced their alcohol consumption<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with non-alcoholic or cannabis drinks. This shift is led by Gen Z and millennials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Young Substance Use on the Decline\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We know that self-reported cannabis use among teens is steadily declining. We also know that Gen Z substance use is beginning to trend toward alcohol-free options. What\u2019s the significance of all this data?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It turns out that substance use in general is on the decline among young people. In 2011, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YBRSS) found that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/usafacts.org\/articles\/is-teen-drug-and-alcohol-use-declining\/#:~:text=In%202011%2C%20these%20numbers%20were%2037.9%25%20for%20girls%20and%2039.5%25%20for%20boys.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">37.9% of teenage girls and 39.5% of teenage boys<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> reported drinking alcohol at least once in the past 30 days. By 2021, those numbers had changed to 26.8% of teenage girls and 18.8% of teenage boys.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The same survey found that in 2001, 26.5% of teens had tried illicit drugs. But 20 years later, that figure had <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/usafacts.org\/articles\/is-teen-drug-and-alcohol-use-declining\/#:~:text=In%202001%2C%2026.5%25%20of%20teens%20had%20tried%20illicit%20drugs.%20By%202021%2C%20that%20had%20fallen%20to%2013.4%25.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">dropped to 13.4%.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That\u2019s not to say that teen substance use is not a problem. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/usafacts.org\/articles\/is-teen-drug-and-alcohol-use-declining\/#:~:text=The%20misuse%20of%20prescription%20painkillers%2C%20including%20codeine%2C%20Vicodin%2C%20OxyContin%2C%20Hydrocodone%2C%20and%20Percocet%2C%20is%20an%20ongoing%20issue%20despite%20medical%20efforts%20to%20curb%20overprescription.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">USA Facts reports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that teens misusing prescription painkillers like codeine, Vicodin, Hydrocodone, OxyContin, and Percocet continues to be a problem.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>READ: <a class=\"sc-ciFRQG jVdmlA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/gen-z-cannabis-industry-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How Is Gen Z Influencing the Cannabis Industry?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><b>Fears About Teen Cannabis Use<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Despite evidence of steadily declining teen cannabis use, not increasing, fears about teens using cannabis still remain among lawmakers and advocates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2021, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts aggressively went after medical marijuana, warning that legalization would end up killing children.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">He <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/2021\/03\/12\/nebraska-gov-pete-ricketts-legal-marijuana-kill-your-kids\/4663466001\/#:~:text=%22This%20is%20a%20dangerous%20drug%20that%20will%20impact%20our%20kids%2C%22%20Ricketts%20told%20reporters%20on%20Wednesday.%20%22If%20you%20legalize%20marijuana%2C%20you%E2%80%99re%20gonna%20kill%20your%20kids.%20That%E2%80%99s%20what%20the%20data%20shows%20from%20around%20the%20country.%22%C2%A0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">told reporters<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, &#8220;This is a dangerous drug that will impact our kids. If you legalize marijuana, you\u2019re gonna kill your kids. That\u2019s what the data shows from around the country.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">More recently, Dr. Jessica Spencer, a leading Florida cannabis critic, spoke to lawmakers to call for more funding for anti-cannabis education in elementary schools. She went on to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/floridaphoenix.com\/2025\/02\/11\/cannabis-critic-warns-lawmakers-about-dangers-of-todays-pot-urges-against-ever-legalizing-it\/#:~:text=Dr.%20Jessica%20Spencer%2C%20who%20worked%20on%20the%20campaign%20to%20defeat%20Amendment%203%20last%20year%2C%20also%20used%20her%20remarks%20in%20front%20of%20the%20Senate%20Criminal%20Justice%20Committee%20to%20urge%20against%20Florida%20ever%20legalizing%20cannabis%20for%20adults.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">urge lawmakers to never legalize<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> adult-use cannabis in the state.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last year in South Dakota, Rhonda Milstead of Protecting South Dakota Kids spoke in a debate about decriminalizing cannabis in the state. She argued that legal cannabis has no identifiable benefits and even <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/southdakotasearchlight.com\/2024\/10\/12\/im-29-if-voters-decriminalize-marijuana-lawmakers-would-make-the-call-on-sales\/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CLegalizing%20marijuana%20has,violence%2C%20more%20addiction.%E2%80%9D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">stated that<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u201ct<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">his drug brings more poverty, more crime, more mental health issues, more youth at risk, more violence, more addiction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These are just a few examples of many cases where lawmakers and critics call out cannabis for its dangerous impacts on the youth, despite recent data telling a different story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-39880\" src=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-300x200.png\" alt=\"teens\" width=\"609\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/teen-cannabis-use-2.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>Risks of Teen Cannabis Use<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While it is misleading and frustrating to see opponents argue that cannabis legalization will lead to more teen use and even deaths, there are real risks associated with teen cannabis use. However, recent data show that legalization is not correlated with increased use among the youth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The CDC says that cannabis use during adolescence and young adulthood <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/cannabis\/health-effects\/cannabis-and-teens.html#:~:text=The%20teen%20brain%20is%20actively%20developing%20and%20continues%20to%20develop%20until%20around%20age%2025.%20Cannabis%20use%20during%20adolescence%20and%20young%20adulthood%20may%20harm%20the%20developing%20brain.23\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">may have negative effects on the brain,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> which continues to develop until around 25 years of age. They also say that there\u2019s an <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/cannabis\/health-effects\/cannabis-and-teens.html#:~:text=The%20association%20between%20cannabis%20and%20schizophrenia%20is%20stronger%20in%20people%20who%20start%20using%20cannabis%20at%20an%20earlier%20age%20and%20use%20cannabis%20more%20frequently.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">increased association between cannabis use and schizophrenia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> in people who start using the drug at an earlier age. Additionally, the CDC says that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/cannabis\/health-effects\/cannabis-and-teens.html#:~:text=The%20risk%20of%20developing%20cannabis%20use%20disorder%20is%20stronger%20in%20people%20who%20start%20using%20cannabis%20during%20youth%20or%20adolescence%20and%20who%20use%20cannabis%20more%20frequently.8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">people who begin using cannabis during youth or adolescence are at a higher risk<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These risks are important to consider when looking at teen and young adult cannabis use. But it\u2019s also important to note that recent data indicate that youth cannabis rates are falling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As with most cannabis topics, we need more data and information to craft a clearer picture. From what we know right now, it appears that teenagers and young adults are using less cannabis and other substances, in general. The increase in states with adult-use cannabis laws does not appear to impact youth cannabis use rates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>One of the most common fears we hear cited by lawmakers and anti-cannabis advocates is that legalization will lead to more use among teenagers. But these fears aren\u2019t always rooted in facts and tend to perpetuate existing stigmas about cannabis use. With close to half of the U.S. states providing legal recreational cannabis, we wonder:&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":39882,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17911,254],"tags":[17230,55,18528,18526,18529,2183,18527,12898,217,18525],"class_list":["post-39879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-lifestyle","tag-cannabis-and-teens","tag-cannabis-legalization","tag-cdc-cannabis-data","tag-gen-z-cannabis","tag-medical-marijuana-research","tag-norml","tag-samhsa-survey","tag-teen-cannabis-use","tag-veriheal","tag-youth-marijuana-trends"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v26.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Are Teens Using More or Less Cannabis?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Recent data shows teen cannabis use is dropping despite legalization. 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