Young people often turn to marijuana to feel better, as well as to reduce anxiety in social situations such as connecting with friends.
But how many teens actually use marijuana?
According to 2019 CDC data, 4 in 10 high school students reported lifetime use of marijuana. However, some recent surveys suggest there’s a decline in teen use of marijuana and other controlled substances.
This seems to be a trend.
After Michigan’s annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey revealed an unprecedented year-over-year decline in 8th-graders, 10th-graders and 12th-graders, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Healthy Kids Colorado Survey’s results showed that in 2021 young people were 35% less likely to use marijuana compared to prior years.
Apparently, it’s all a part of a broader trend that dates back to 2013. Cannabis advocates are attributing it to regulated access for adults that then minimizes the risk of adolescent marijuana use. Other reports proved the same.
Numerous studies showed that marijuana legalization laws are not associated with increased use among high school students, but quite the opposite. A recent study by the Drug-Free America Foundation and commissioned by Johnny’s Ambassadors revealed that states with fewer legal restrictions on marijuana have seen more use among teens as well as declining mental health.
Adolescents Three Times More Vulnerable To Marijuana Addiction
To that end, a new study published in the Journal of…