Trends in the Perception and Use of Cannabis Among American Youth: 2002-2013

Background and Purpose.  Recent policy changes related to the decriminalization, medicalization, and legalization of marijuana use in cities and states across the country suggest that important shifts are underway in the United States. A 2013 Gallup poll found, for the first time on record, that a majority of Americans believe that the use of marijuana should be legal (Swift, 2013). Similarly, a Pew Research Center (2013) poll found that, while half of American adults viewed marijuana use as “morally wrong” in 2006, the majority of American adults now view marijuana use as either “morally acceptable” (12%) or a “non-moral issue” (50%). Simply, America and American adults appear to be changing with respect to how we perceive the use and distribution of the most commonly used illicit substance in the United States (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2012). However, little research has accrued examining changes in the perceptions and use of marijuana among American youth. Cognizant of this gap and its relevance to drug abuse prevention efforts, the aim of this study is to examine trends in the disapproval and use of marijuana among American youth (ages 12-25).

Methods. We employ nationally representative data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health spanning the period of 2002-2013.  Analyses are based on self-reported measurements from 105,903 younger adolescents (ages 12-14); 110,949 older adolescents (age 15-17); and 221,976 young adults (ages 18-25). We present prevalence estimates for marijuana disapproval and use and, consistent with the approach outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the significance of trend changes.

Results.  Between 2002-2013 the proportion of adolescents ages 12-14 reporting "strong disapproval" of marijuana use initiation increased significantly from 74.4% to 78.9%.  Concurrently, a significant decrease in past 12-month marijuana use (OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.97-0.99) was observed among these younger adolescents.  More precisely, we identified a 25% decrease in the relative proportion of early adolescent marijuana users between 2002-2013. No significant trend was observed for marijuana use disapproval among adolescents ages 15-17 between 2002 and 2013. Yet a significant (OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.98-0.99) decrease in past 12-month use of marijuana was observed (2002 = 26.2%, 2013 = 21.9%) among this group. Among young adults (ages 18-25), a substantial decrease—from 40.5% in 2002 to 22.6% in 2013—was observed in the proportion reporting “strong disapproval” of marijuana use initiation; however, increases in young adult past 12-month use were relatively small (Δ = 2.21) but statistically significant (OR = 1.02, 95% = 1.01-1.02).

Conclusions and Implications. An in-depth understanding of the changes in the perception and use of marijuana is essential to the development and implementation of drug abuse prevention efforts. Findings from the present study suggest that important changes are underway in the perception and use of marijuana among American youth; however, these changes seem to differ in important ways among youth from distinct developmental subgroups. Implications for drug abuse prevention and future research will be discussed.