Marijuana use by teens has fallen sharply in the majority of states that have legalized the adult-use market, according to an analysis of state and federal survey data by the Marijuana Policy Project.
MPP’s analysis acknowledges steady declines in self-reported marijuana use by young people in 19 of 21 states for which data is available. Federally funded survey data shows similar nationwide declines in teen marijuana use over the past decade.
“Over a decade into state-level cannabis legalization, the data is unequivocal: Legalization does not increase youth cannabis use. In fact, evidence suggests the opposite,” said Karen O’Keefe, Director of State Policies at the Marijuana Policy Project. “By transitioning cannabis sales from the illicit market to a regulated system with age-restricted access, we’ve seen a decrease in youth cannabis use.”
Last month, national data provided by the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study reported that marijuana use by teens fell to historic lows in 2024. Specifically, it determined that the percentage of 8th graders, 10th graders, and 12 graders who reported having ever consumed cannabis declined 32 percent, 37 percent, and 23 percent since 2014.
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