Cannabis Use Rates By Minnesota Teens Dropped from 2013 to 2025
- Past-year cannabis use among Minnesota teens significantly decreased from 2013 to 2025, with 11th graders' rates dropping from 25.2% to 12.7%, 9th graders from 13.8% to 4.1%, and 8th graders from 7% to 2.5%.
- Despite the overall decline, Minnesota's Commissioner of Health, Dr. Brooke Cunningham, highlighted concerns about some students encountering cannabis at young ages and emphasized the importance of early conversations about its risks.
- The Minnesota Department of Health released a guide to help adults discuss cannabis with children, tailored to different age groups to address potential harms effectively.
- Past 30-day cannabis use among teens also decreased statewide, with 11th graders' use falling from 17% to 7.7%, 9th graders from 10% to 2.9%, and 8th graders from 5.5% to 1.8% between 2013 and 2025.
Past-year teen cannabis use in Minnesota dropped sharply from 2013 to 2025, according to data from the 2025 Minnesota Student Survey. Among 11th-grade students, cannabis consumption rates nearly halved from 25.2% in 2013 to 12.7% last year. Rates of use among 9th-grade students fell from 13.8% in 2013 to 4.1% in 2025, while the rate of use among 8th-graders dropped from 7% to 2.5%.
In a statement, Minnesota Commissioner of Health Dr. Brooke Cunningham noted that despite the “positive trends” regarding use rates, the survey did find that some students “are encountering cannabis at young ages.”
“We need to talk to our children about cannabis before they encounter it because we know the potential harms that early use can bring to their developing brains, mental health and futures.” — Cunnigham in a statement
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recently published a guide to help adults have conversations with children about cannabis. The guide breaks down potential conversations by age groups.
The MDH report also found declining past 30-day cannabis use rates among teens. Rates for 11th graders fell from 17% in 2013 to 7.7%; rates among ninth graders fell from about 10% in 2013 to 2.9% last year; and rates among eighth graders fell from about 5.5% to 1.8 percent from 2013 to 2015.
Statewide, cannabis use rates among teenagers in the state fell from about 10% to 4.1% from 2013 to 2025.