In summary, current cannabis use among adolescents has decreased from 23% in 2011 to just over 15% in 2021. The incidence of first experimentation before age 13 has also fallen from 8 to 5%. .
If cannabis, however, remains one of the substances most commonly consumed by adolescents, the reduction in the perception of risk among adolescents, associated with legalization efforts, does not seem “enough” to maintain its levels of consumption among young people. .
The study analyzes data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted from 2011 to 2021 on the risky behaviors of young people, among 88,183 adolescents. Researchers focused on trends in cannabis use as well as variations by gender, ethnicity, and education level. This analysis reveals new consumer trends:
- the significant decrease in the rate of adolescents reporting current use you cannabis: 15.8% in 2021 vs 23.1% in 2011;
- a equally notable drop in experimentation before the age of 13 from 8.1% in 2011 to 4.9% in 2021;
- in 2021, cannabis use is most widespread among 1st grade students (22.4%), followed by 10th grade students (18.7%), with consumption rates being lower in lower grades;
- however, over the entire study period, cannabis use declined across all grade levels, with older students consistently reporting higher use;
- this observation confirms the interest in targeting prevention interventions on older adolescents, who present a higher risk of regular or heavy consumption.
- lgirls surpass boys in terms of declared cannabis consumption in 2021 (17.8 vs. 13.6% for boys;
- this marks a significant change from 2011, when boys were more likely to use cannabis (25.9%) than girls (20.1%);
- consumption is also higher among black and Hispanic communities.
“As more and more states continue to legalize recreational cannabis, and the image of lower risk tends to become more widespread, logically cannabis consumption should increase. However, these observations suggest the effectiveness of awareness campaigns, advances in parental communication, health education provided in schools, as well as strategies for monitoring marijuana use among adolescents.
This data, which will make it possible to better target these different interventions, should enable “even better results for future generations”.
If cannabis, apart from its consumption disorders, causes limited adverse effects, the authors point out that its regular or heavy consumption during adolescence can harm cognitive development and learning, induce working memory problems and attention deficits. Adolescents who use cannabis are 2 to 4 times more likely to have school problems and then to develop psychotic disorders in adulthood.
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