The percentage of high school students who report regularly consuming cannabis has fallen steadily over the past decade, according to data provided by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A newly issued CDC publication, Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021, finds that the percentage of high-schoolers who report having used cannabis over the past 30 days fell from 23 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2021. The decline was more pronounced among males than females.
Commenting on the study’s findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “These latest findings add to the growing body of scientific literature showing that legalization policies can be implemented in a manner that provides access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse. Furthermore, these findings stand in sharp contrast to the sensational claims often made by legalization opponents, claims that thus far have proven to be baseless.”
The latest CDC findings are consistent with those of numerous other federally funded national surveys documenting declining rates of cannabis use by young people during the same time that a growing number of states legalized the adult-use marijuana market. Since 2012, 21 states have legalized the use of cannabis products for those age 21 or older.
A previous CDC study, published in 2020, similarly reported that the percentage of high-schoolers who had ever…
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