Minnesota: Far Fewer Young People Consuming Cannabis, Survey Finds
- Teen cannabis use in Minnesota has declined significantly over the past decade, with past-year usage dropping nearly 60% since 2013.
- Monthly cannabis use among students has also decreased, with 11th graders' usage down 50%, 9th graders down 70%, and 8th graders down 64%.
- Medical cannabis was legalized in Minnesota in 2014, followed by adult-use legalization in 2023, showing that regulated access has not increased teen usage.
- Similar findings from a University of Michigan survey confirm that adolescent marijuana use is at or near historic lows in states with regulated adult-use cannabis markets.
Far fewer teens are consuming cannabis now as compared to a decade ago, according to survey data compiled by the Minnesota Department of Health.
Since 2013, the percentage of teens reporting having used marijuana in the past year has fallen nearly 60 percent, the survey found.
The percentage of young people who consume cannabis monthly has also declined. Specifically, the percentage of 11th graders reporting having used cannabis in the past month fell by 50 percent. Use among 9th graders fell 70 percent; use among 8th graders fell 64 percent.
State lawmakers approved medical cannabis access in 2014 and legalized adult-use access in 2023.
Commenting on the data, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, “These 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.”
Federally funded survey data compiled by the University of Michigan in December similarly reported that marijuana use by adolescents has fallen significantly since states began regulating adult-use cannabis markets and now stands at or near historic lows.
Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates.’