A FAU study found that teens are less likely to use pot

Marijuana has long been an illicit drug for many young people in America, but a new study from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) shows that teenagers and young people today increasingly avoid weed.

FAU Schmidt Medical College released this week conclusions of a recently completed study showing that young people have “drastically” abandoned marijuana use as more states legalize marijuana for recreational or medical purposes.

“In 2011, 23.1% of teens said they were current users, but by 2021, that number had dropped to 15.8%. In addition, the percentage of teens who tried marijuana for the first time before the age of 13 also dropped significantly, from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021,” the FAU report on marijuana use says.

The FAU researchers used data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted that decade and surveyed more than 88,000 young people. The majority of young people indicated they had given up pot, but two years — 2013 and 2019 — saw some uptick.

“While we saw an overall decline from 2011 to 2021 across all grades, older students consistently reported higher levels of use, especially 12th graders. This suggests that as adolescents progress through high school, they may have greater access to marijuana due to the influence of more developed peer networks and greater independence,” he said. Panayota “Iota” Kitsantasauthor-correspondent and professor and head of the department Department of Public Health and Social Medicine at FAU.

“This trend highlights the need for targeted interventions aimed at older adolescents who are at greater risk of regular marijuana use.”

The researchers also found that girls are more comfortable using the potty than boys.

“Girls reported a higher prevalence of current marijuana use (17.8%) than boys (13.6%). This marks a significant change from 2011, when boys were more likely to use marijuana (25.9%) compared to girls (20.1%). Convergence of use rates between the sexes indicates a developmental dynamic that may reflect broader societal changes in attitudes toward marijuana,” the FAU study found.

While marijuana use among youth may be on the decline, FAU researchers advise parents to remain vigilant about teen experimentation with cannabis.

“The authors emphasize the importance of interventions such as communication with parents, supervision and modeling, as well as effective health education in schools and the promotion of a supportive school climate to support reductions in adolescent marijuana use,” the study concluded.

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