Adolescent vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids all increased from 2021 to 2023
Among nearly 70,000 US middle and high schoolers, vaping of all cannabinoid types increased from 2021 to 2023, with 2.55 million teens vaping THC and synthetic cannabinoid use doubling among 11-13 year olds.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Significant increases in vaping of THC, CBD, and synthetic cannabinoids from 2021-2023; THC vaping peaked in 2022 while synthetic continued rising; prevalence higher among females than males in 2023; use doubled among 11-13 year olds.
Key Numbers
69,899 students; 2023: 7.4% (2.55M) vaping THC, 2.9% (999K) vaping CBD, 1.8% (620K) vaping synthetic cannabinoids; females exceeded males in 2023; 11-13 year old THC and synthetic use doubled 2021-2023.
How They Did This
Three waves of National Youth Tobacco Survey (2021-2023); 69,899 US middle and high school students aged 11-18; weighted prevalence estimates by year, age, and sex.
Why This Research Matters
The rise in synthetic cannabinoid vaping among the youngest adolescents is alarming given unknown health effects, while overall cannabis vaping continues spreading across all cannabinoid types.
The Bigger Picture
The rapid growth of synthetic cannabinoid vaping among adolescents represents an emerging public health crisis with unknown long-term consequences.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-reported data; students may not know what cannabinoid they are vaping; "don't know" responses for synthetics tripled (awareness issue); school-based survey misses dropouts.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why are females now vaping cannabinoids more than males?
- ?What are the health effects of synthetic cannabinoid vaping in adolescents?
- ?Are students aware they may be consuming synthetic cannabinoids?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 2.55 million US adolescents were vaping THC in 2023, with synthetic cannabinoid use doubling among 11-13 year olds
- Evidence Grade:
- Large nationally representative youth survey with three annual waves, though self-reported data and potential misidentification of substances are limitations.
- Study Age:
- Published 2025, data from 2021-2023
- Original Title:
- Adolescent Cannabis Vaping Trends (2021-2023): Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol, and Synthetic Cannabinoids.
- Published In:
- American journal of preventive medicine, 69(6), 107655 (2025)
- Authors:
- Chung, Jack(3), Lim, Carmen C W(5), Stjepanović, Daniel(11), Hall, Wayne, Connor, Jason P, Chan, Gary C K
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06227
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How many teens are vaping cannabis?
An estimated 2.55 million US adolescents (7.4%) were vaping THC in 2023, with nearly 1 million vaping CBD and 620,000 vaping synthetic cannabinoids.
Which age group saw the biggest increase?
The youngest group (ages 11-13) saw THC and synthetic cannabinoid vaping prevalence double between 2021 and 2023.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06227APA
Chung, Jack; Lim, Carmen C W; Stjepanović, Daniel; Hall, Wayne; Connor, Jason P; Chan, Gary C K. (2025). Adolescent Cannabis Vaping Trends (2021-2023): Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol, and Synthetic Cannabinoids.. American journal of preventive medicine, 69(6), 107655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107655
MLA
Chung, Jack, et al. "Adolescent Cannabis Vaping Trends (2021-2023): Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol, and Synthetic Cannabinoids.." American journal of preventive medicine, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2025.107655
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Adolescent Cannabis Vaping Trends (2021-2023): Delta-9-Tetra..." RTHC-06227. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/chung-2025-adolescent-cannabis-vaping-trends
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.