As more and more states legalize cannabis for adult use in the United States and permit legal recreational cannabis production and sales, youth cannabis consumption rates have dropped to historic lows, according to data compiled by the federal government.

“The percentage of high-schoolers nationwide who acknowledge consuming cannabis has fallen to record lows, according to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” wrote NORML in a news release received by the International Cannabis Business Conference. “According to data posted on the CDC’s YRBS (Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System) Explorer website, the percentage of high-schoolers who identify as current cannabis consumers fell approximately 60 percent over the past decade. This dramatic decline coincides with nearly half of all US states regulating adult-use marijuana markets.”

“According to the federal agency, the percentage of young people identifying as current cannabis consumers is now lower than at any time over the past three decades.” NORML added.

“Sensational claims that adult-use legalization laws are linked with greater marijuana use by teens are simply not backed by reliable data. These government 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.” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said.

“The CDC’s latest figures are consistent with data from the University of Michigan and the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration finding that young people’s use of cannabis has fallen to historic lows nationally. A separate analysis published last year by the Marijuana Policy Project reported that teen marijuana use has declined in nearly every state that has legalized and regulated the adult-use cannabis market.” NORML stated.

Similar downward trends in youth consumption have occurred in other jurisdictions that have adopted adult-use legalization measures. The German Federal Institute for Public Health previously published youth cannabis usage data post-legalization. The “Drug Affinity Study 2025” surveyed 7,001 young people between the ages of 12 and 25 from April to July 2025, and the results were then compared to those from a similar study conducted between April and June 2023.

“According to the regularly conducted survey, the proportion of adolescents aged 12 to 17 who have consumed cannabis in the past 12 months fell from 6.7 percent in 2023 to 6.1 percent this year.” reported RND in its local coverage (translated from German to English). “The proportion of regular users who have consumed cannabis more than ten times in the past 12 months decreased from 1.3 to 1.1 percent during this period.”