FAU study finds teens are using pot less frequently

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Marijuana has long been an illicit drug of choice among many young people in America, but a new study by Florida Atlantic University (FAU) shows teens and youth are bypassing weed more and more these days.

The FAU Schmidt College of Medicine this week released the findings of a recently completed study that shows young people have “dramatically” fallen off the use of pot as more states are legalizing cannabis for recreational or medicinal purposes.

“In 2011, 23.1% of adolescents indicated they were current users, but by 2021, this figure had dropped to 15.8%. Additionally, the percentage of adolescents trying marijuana for the first time before age 13 also saw a notable decline, from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021,” the FAU report on marijuana use found.

FAU researchers used data from a Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted in that decade and surveyed more than 88,000 young people. Most young people indicated they fell off of pot use, but two years — in 2013 and 2019 — saw some upticks.

“While we observed an overall decline from 2011 to 2021 across all grades, older students consistently reported higher usage, particularly 12th graders. This suggests that as adolescents advance through high school, they may have greater access to marijuana, influenced by more developed peer networks and increased independence,” said Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, corresponding author and professor and Chair of the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine at FAU.

“This trend highlights the need for targeted interventions aimed at older adolescents, who are at a greater risk of regular marijuana use.”

Researchers also found that girls are more comfortable using pot than boys.

“Girls reported a higher prevalence of current marijuana use (17.8%) than boys (13.6%). This marks a significant change from 2011 when boys were more likely to use marijuana (25.9%) compared to girls (20.1%). The convergence of usage rates among genders highlights an evolving dynamic that could reflect broader societal changes in attitudes toward marijuana,” the FAU study found.

While marijuana use may be declining among young people, FAU researchers advised parents should still remain vigilant about cannabis experimentation among adolescents.

“The authors emphasize the importance of interventions like parental communication, supervision and modeling, alongside schools offering effective health education and fostering a positive school climate, to sustain the decline in adolescent marijuana use,” the study concluded.