Teenage Cannabis Use Is Dropping As More States Pass Adult-Use Reforms

The federally funded Monitoring the Future Survey found that cannabis use among U.S. teenagers has continued to decline even as more states enact adult-use legalization policies, despite warnings from cannabis reform opponents.

The study, directed by the University of Michigan and supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is an annual survey tracking how U.S. high school students view and consume substances including cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.

According to a NIDA press release, “Cannabis use remained stable [in 2024] for the younger grades, with 7.2 percent of eighth graders and 15.9 percent of 10th graders reporting cannabis use in the past 12 months. Cannabis use declined among 12th graders, with 25.8 percent reporting cannabis use in the past 12 months (compared to 29.0 percent in 2023).”

“This trend in the reduction of substance use among teenagers is unprecedented. We must continue to investigate factors that have contributed to this lowered risk of substance use to tailor interventions to support the continuation of this trend.” — NIDA’s director Nora D. Volkow, M.D., in a statement

This year’s study also measured for the first time teenagers’ use of products containing delta-8 THC, a psychoactive cannabinoid typically sourced from federally legal hemp plants. Researchers noted that 2.9 percent of eighth graders, 7.9 percent of 10th graders, and 12.3 percent of 12th graders reported using delta-8 THC within the past 12 months.