US adolescent cannabis use peaked in 1999 and has since declined substantially, but a major gender reversal has emerged — girls now report higher rates than boys for the first time.
Parents, school counselors, public health officials, and adolescent health researchers
What the researchers found
Lifetime cannabis use dropped from 47.3% (1999) to 30.1% (2023); recent use from 27.1% to 17.8%; early initiation from 11.5% to 6.5%. In 2023, females surpassed males in lifetime (33.4% vs. 27.0%) and recent use (19.4% vs. 16.4%).
Why it matters
The historic gender reversal challenges decades of assumptions about male-predominant cannabis use and demands updated prevention approaches that address why girls are now using more.
The numbers in context
Lifetime use: 47.3% (1999) → 30.1% (2023); recent use: 27.1% → 17.8%; early initiation: 11.5% → 6.5%; 2023 females: 33.4% lifetime, 19.4% recent vs. males: 27.0%, 16.4%.
How the study worked
Analysis of 1991-2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data, a biennial nationally representative school-based survey of US high school students, using cross-tabulations and logistic regression.
What this study cannot tell us
Self-reported data subject to social desirability bias; school-based survey misses out-of-school youth; does not capture mode of use (smoking vs. vaping vs. edibles).
How to read the evidence
Over 30 years of nationally representative survey data (YRBS) provides robust trend analysis with large sample sizes.
When this study was published
Published in 2026 with data through 2023, providing the most current long-term adolescent cannabis trend analysis available.
The bigger picture
Despite legalization fears, teen cannabis use has actually trended downward for over two decades — but the emerging gender gap suggests different risk factors are now driving female adolescent use.
Questions still open
- What's driving the gender reversal in adolescent cannabis use? Is the female increase related to mental health self-medication, changing social norms, or product accessibility?
Common questions
Is teen cannabis use increasing or decreasing?
Do boys or girls use more cannabis now?
Read the original research
Trends in US adolescent cannabis use, 1991-2023.
Addictive behaviors, 176, 108634
Citation
Amrock, Stephen M; Sajkiewicz, Agata J. (2026). Trends in US adolescent cannabis use, 1991-2023.. Addictive behaviors, 176, 108634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108634
Explore the wider topic
- How to Talk to Your Teenager About Weed (Without Losing Them)
- My Kid's Friends Smoke Weed: A Parent's Guide
- I Smoke Weed But Don't Want My Kids To: Navigating the Hypocrisy
- Quitting Weed as a Parent: Why It Is the Hardest and Most Important Quit
- Quitting Weed as a Teen or Young Adult
- My Kid Is Smoking Weed: A Parent's Guide