Teen Cannabis Use Has Dropped Since 1999 — But Girls Now Use More Than Boys
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.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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%).
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
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.
Why This Research 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 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.
What This Study Doesn't 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).
Questions This Raises
- ?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?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Over 30 years of nationally representative survey data (YRBS) provides robust trend analysis with large sample sizes.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2026 with data through 2023, providing the most current long-term adolescent cannabis trend analysis available.
- Original Title:
- Trends in US adolescent cannabis use, 1991-2023.
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 176, 108634 (2026)
- Authors:
- Amrock, Stephen M(2), Sajkiewicz, Agata J(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08081
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is teen cannabis use increasing or decreasing?
Despite legalization concerns, teen cannabis use has actually been declining since peaking in 1999. Lifetime use dropped from 47% to 30%, and early initiation was cut nearly in half.
Do boys or girls use more cannabis now?
In a historic reversal, girls now report higher rates of both lifetime (33.4% vs 27.0%) and recent (19.4% vs 16.4%) cannabis use compared to boys, as of 2023.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08081APA
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
MLA
Amrock, Stephen M, et al. "Trends in US adolescent cannabis use, 1991-2023.." Addictive behaviors, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108634
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Trends in US adolescent cannabis use, 1991-2023." RTHC-08081. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/amrock-2026-trends-in-us-adolescent
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.