The percentage of high-schoolers nationwide who acknowledge consuming cannabis has fallen to record lows, according to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to data posted on the CDC’s YRBS (Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System) Explorer website, the percentage of high-schoolers who identify as current cannabis consumers fell approximately 60 percent over the past decade. This dramatic decline coincides with nearly half of all US states regulating adult-use marijuana markets.
According to the federal agency, the percentage of young people identifying as current cannabis consumers is now lower than at any time over the past three decades.
Similarly, the percentage of high-schoolers reporting having ever tried marijuana is also at its lowest level in more than 30 years.
Commenting on the federal survey data, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “Sensational claims that adult-use legalization laws are linked with greater marijuana use by teens are simply not backed by reliable data. These government findings ought to reassure lawmakers that cannabis access can be legally regulated in a manner that is safe, effective, and that does not inadvertently impact young people’s habits.”
The CDC’s latest figures are consistent with data from the University of Michigan and the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finding that young people’s use of cannabis has fallen to historic lows nationally. A separate analysis published last year by the Marijuana Policy Project reported that teen marijuana use has declined in nearly every state that has legalized and regulated the adult-use cannabis market.
The CDC’s 2025 data is available online. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates.’
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