Youth marijuana use dropped in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic and as more states moved to enact legalization, a newly released federal survey found. The latest dataset from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) is yet another example of a federally backed study challenging the prohibitionist narrative that ending cannabis prohibition for adults will lead to increased underage usage. Past-year cannabis use for those aged 12-17 dipped from 13.2 percent to 10.1 percent from 2019-2020, the survey, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), found. And even for those in the 18-25 age category, past-year use dropped from 35.4 percent to 34.5 percent in that timeframe. For this latest survey, researchers emphasized that there were changes to methodology due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Interviews were conducted virtually, rather than in person, to ensure safety, for example. Because of the change, “caution should be used when comparing estimates,” they said. That said, past instances of the annual survey have continually shown that legalization opponents’ predicted spike in youth marijuana use as reform spreads has simply not come to fruition.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 10/28/2021 14:30:00