The 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 21.7% of high school students had used marijuana in the past 30 days, a rate that had not significantly changed over recent years despite other substance use declining.
Read this if you want to understand current marijuana use rates among US high school students in the context of other risk behaviors.
21.7% of US high school students used marijuana in the past 30 days
What the researchers found
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System is the CDC's primary tool for monitoring health risk behaviors among US high school students. The 2015 survey covered 118 health behaviors across students in grades 9-12 nationwide and in 37 states and 19 large urban school districts.
Marijuana use stood out as stubbornly persistent. While many other risk behaviors had decreased since tracking began (including cigarette use, alcohol use, and sexual activity), the prevalence of "ever having used marijuana" had not significantly changed over time.
In the 30 days before the survey, 21.7% of students had used marijuana, compared to 32.8% who had drunk alcohol and 10.8% who had smoked cigarettes. The gap between marijuana and cigarette use continued to narrow, reflecting declining cigarette use rather than increasing marijuana use.
Why it matters
This is the gold-standard dataset for understanding adolescent risk behaviors in the United States. The persistence of marijuana use rates while other substance use declines raises questions about whether prevention approaches for cannabis need to differ from those that have successfully reduced cigarette and alcohol use among teens.
The numbers in context
21.7% used marijuana in past 30 days. 32.8% drank alcohol. 10.8% smoked cigarettes. 41.2% had ever had sexual intercourse. Marijuana use prevalence had not significantly changed over the tracking period. Most other risk behaviors had decreased.
How the study worked
National school-based survey conducted by the CDC using a three-stage cluster sample design to produce nationally representative estimates. The 2015 survey included results from 37 state surveys and 19 large urban school district surveys. Standard statistical methods were used to assess trends over time.
What this study cannot tell us
School-based surveys miss students who are absent, dropped out, or homeschooled. Self-reported data in school settings may be affected by social desirability. The survey captures prevalence but not frequency, quantity, or potency of use.
How to read the evidence
National CDC surveillance system with representative sampling and rigorous methodology. One of the most authoritative data sources on adolescent behavior.
When this study was published
Published in 2016 with 2015 data. More recent YRBSS surveys have captured the effects of vaping, legalization, and COVID-19 on youth substance use.
The bigger picture
The YRBSS data reveals a shifting landscape where marijuana has become relatively more prominent among adolescent substance use as other substances decline. This has implications for school-based prevention programs, which may need to allocate more attention to marijuana-specific messaging.
Questions still open
- Why has marijuana use remained stable while cigarette and alcohol use have declined? Would cannabis-specific prevention strategies be more effective than general substance use programs? How has legalization in some states affected these trends?
Common questions
How many high school students use marijuana?
Is teen marijuana use increasing?
Read the original research
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2015.
Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002), 65(6), 1-174
Citation
Kann, Laura; McManus, Tim; Harris, William A; Shanklin, Shari L; Flint, Katherine H; Hawkins, Joseph; Queen, Barbara; Lowry, Richard; Olsen, Emily O'Malley; Chyen, David; Whittle, Lisa; Thornton, Jemekia; Lim, Connie; Yamakawa, Yoshimi; Brener, Nancy; Zaza, Stephanie. (2016). Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance - United States, 2015.. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002), 65(6), 1-174. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6506a1
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