Teen Cannabis Use Is Down, New Federal Survey Shows

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The latest Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) data, based on the most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, show that as states continue to legalize cannabis, teen use is actually falling. 

The survey of Americans aged 12 and older asks questions on several substances, from alcohol and cannabis to nicotine. 

Cannabis Wire has been covering these surveys for years. Using a wider time period can be useful in tracking longer trends. For example, in 2014, the percentage of teens aged 12-17 who had ever tried cannabis was 16.4%. In 2023, that number dropped to 13.4%. Past month and past year use are down, too.

Looking at all ages surveyed, smoked flower remains the go-to vehicle of consumption among people age 12 and older, followed by edibles and then vaped products. 

 • You can read the results from the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health here. 

 • Some more reader-friendly graphics are available here. 

 • And, if you really want to take a dive into the data tables, go here. 

Researchers presented a new study this week at ADLM 2024 (formerly the AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo) that showed that rates of cannabinoid exposure during pregnancy are rising.  

Researchers analyzed more than 90,000 umbilical cord samples from 2019 to 2023. Of these, roughly 44% were positive for one of 60 analytes – which included a range of drugs – and cannabinoids accounted for roughly 60% of all positive results. 

“The sheer amount of cannabinoid positivity we found in comparison to all the drugs that we run on our umbilical cord toxicity testing was pretty astounding,” lead researcher Alexandria Reinhart said in an announcement about the research.

Check out more about the study here.