Survey information reveals dramatic drop in marijuana use amongst US youth over a decade

Marijuana has emerged as one of the vital generally used illicit substances amongst adolescents in the USA. Given the rising variety of states legalizing leisure marijuana for adults and the reducing notion of threat amongst adolescents, monitoring developments in youth marijuana use is extra essential than ever.

Researchers from Florida Atlantic College’s Schmidt School of Drugs performed a complete research utilizing information from the Youth Threat Conduct Survey between 2011 and 2021, which surveyed 88,183 adolescents in grades 9 by way of 12. Researchers centered on the general time developments in use of marijuana in addition to variations by gender, race/ethnicity, and faculty grade. These information present vital insights into the altering panorama of marijuana use amongst American youth.

The research, printed within the journal Pediatric Reviews, reveals that one of the vital placing outcomes from the evaluation is the numerous lower within the share of adolescents reporting present marijuana use. In 2011, 23.1% of adolescents indicated they have been present customers, however by 2021, this determine had dropped to fifteen.8%. Moreover, the share of adolescents attempting marijuana for the primary time earlier than age 13 additionally noticed a notable decline, from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021.

In 2021, marijuana use was most prevalent amongst twelfth graders (22.4%), adopted by eleventh graders (18.7%), with decrease utilization charges within the earlier grades. From 2011 to 2021, all grades skilled a notable decline in present marijuana use, particularly amongst ninth graders. Whereas there was an general downward development over time, there have been slight will increase in use in 2013 and once more in 2019.

“Whereas we noticed an general decline from 2011 to 2021 throughout all grades, older college students persistently reported increased utilization, significantly twelfth graders. This means that as adolescents advance by way of highschool, they might have better entry to marijuana, influenced by extra developed peer networks and elevated independence,” stated Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, Ph.D., corresponding writer and professor and chair of the Division of Inhabitants Well being and Social Drugs, FAU Schmidt School of Drugs.

“This development highlights the necessity for focused interventions aimed toward older adolescents, who’re at a better threat of normal marijuana use.”

One of the vital findings of this research is the shift in developments by gender, with women surpassing boys in reported marijuana use by 2021. In 2021, women reported a better prevalence of present marijuana use (17.8%) than boys (13.6%). This marks a big change from 2011 when boys have been extra seemingly to make use of marijuana (25.9%) in comparison with women (20.1%). The convergence of utilization charges amongst genders highlights an evolving dynamic that would mirror broader societal adjustments in attitudes towards marijuana.

The researchers additionally discovered variations amongst Asian, Hispanic and white adolescents, who skilled a number of the steepest declines in present use. In 2021, nonetheless, Black adolescents reported a notably increased share of present marijuana use at 20.5%, in comparison with their white (14.8%), Hispanic (16.7%), and Asian (5.1%) counterparts. This means a persistent racial disparity in marijuana use amongst adolescents that warrants additional examination.

“Within the U.S. the present panorama of marijuana legalization in adults provides a posh layer to the problems of adolescent marijuana use. As extra states proceed to legalize leisure marijuana, the accessibility and perceived normalcy of the drug could enhance, significantly for adolescents who could view its authorized standing as a sign of security or acceptability,” stated Charles H. Hennekens, M.D., FACPM, co-author, the primary Sir Richard Doll Professor of Drugs and Preventive Drugs within the departments of medication and inhabitants well being and social drugs, and senior tutorial advisor, FAU Schmidt School of Drugs.

“Analysis means that marijuana legalization in adults can affect adolescent habits by way of their perceptions of much less threat in addition to elevated availability, each of which can impede efforts to scale back adolescent use.”

The authors emphasize the significance of interventions like parental communication, supervision and modeling, alongside colleges providing efficient well being training and fostering a constructive faculty local weather, to maintain the decline in adolescent marijuana use.

Findings from the research spotlight the necessity for ongoing monitoring and intervention methods to deal with marijuana use amongst U.S. adolescents. By specializing in the particular wants of assorted demographic teams, together with totally different grade ranges, genders and racial/ethnic communities, public well being initiatives can extra successfully deal with the dangers related to adolescent marijuana use and foster more healthy outcomes for future generations.

Common or heavy marijuana use throughout adolescence can adversely have an effect on cognitive improvement, resulting in poor studying, working reminiscence points, and a focus deficits, no matter instructional background or verbal intelligence. Adolescents who use marijuana are two to three-and-a-half occasions extra prone to have decrease grade level averages and face a fourfold enhance in psychosis diagnoses in maturity. Analysis reveals that marijuana use disrupts mind operate by lowering synaptic pruning, leading to elevated grey matter quantity and decreased communication effectivity in higher-order mind areas.

Research co-authors are Jack Yang, first writer and a second-year FAU medical pupil; Maria C. Mejia, M.D., a professor; and Lea Sacca, Ph.D., an assistant professor, each throughout the Division of Inhabitants Well being and Social Drugs, FAU Schmidt School of Drugs.