Teen marijuana usage has been steadily declining for the last couple years. Recently, usage hit a record low which was last seen in early 2011. These numbers come from a federal biennial report released last Monday. Contrary to  popular belief, the federal government believes that this decline in cannabis use by teens is directly linked to a steady increase in cannabis legalization from states.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that roughly 16% of high school students reported past 30-day cannabis use in 2021, compared to 22% in 2019. The percentage of students who use marijuana generally hovers around the low 20%. The CDC also acknowledged in the study that alcohol and opioid use is trending in the “right direction” as well.

An interesting point in the research is that roughly 14% of male high school students reported using cannabis over the last 30 days in 2021. This number is significantly lower when compared to the 26% in 2011. For female high school students, 20% reported using cannabis in 2021, and 18% in 2021. The first states to legalize marijuana happened around 2012 with commercial sales starting around the 2014 mark.

“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… LGBQ+ students and students with any same-sex partners were more likely than their peers to currently use marijuana.” Said the CDC in an interview.

There are also plenty of other studies that support the CDC’s case. Many of these also link legalization with a decrease in teen marijuana consumption.

Read the whole article here.

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