The percentage of Colorado high schoolers who consume cannabis has fallen dramatically over the past decade, according to data provided by the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment.
Since 2015, the percentage of teens acknowledging current marijuana use has declined 48 percent, according to findings from the 2025 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey. Licensed Colorado retail stores began selling cannabis products to adults in 2014.
Moreover, the percentage of young people who disapprove of using cannabis has increased, with nearly 80 percent of respondents now saying that it is “wrong for someone their same age to use marijuana.”
Marijuana use by Colorado middle school students has similarly declined over the past decade, according to the Survey.
In March, annual data provided by Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division reported that licensed retailers deny entry 99 percent of the time to patrons lacking proper proof of age. Findings from other adult-use states, including California and Washington, similarly report that state-licensed cannabis retailers are more likely than alcohol proprietors to deny those without proper ID entry to their facilities.
Commenting on the Survey data, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “These findings are consistent with those from other adult-use legal states, which show steep declines in marijuana use by young people following the adoption of regulated, age-restricted markets. These results bought 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 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey involves over 134,000 students from 362 Colorado high schools and middle schools.
Federally funded survey data compiled by the University of Michigan in December reported that marijuana use by adolescents has fallen nationwide since states began regulating adult-use cannabis markets and now stands at or near historic lows.
Key takeaways from the 2025 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey are available online. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates.’
