Young Americans use less cannabis than at any time in the past 20 years

In 2016, cannabis use rates among 12- to 17-year-olds fell to their lowest level in more than 20 years, according to a federal investigation published last week.

Last year, 6.5% of adolescents used cannabis monthly, a statistically significant decline that began in 2014 when the first recreational cannabis dispensaries opened in Washington State and Colorado.

The last time consumption was at this level was in 1994.

Healthcare professionals are paying particular attention to cannabis use among adolescents. The consequences of this use are not well understood, but clinical trials regularly point to brain development disorders that can lead to behavioral and health problems.

However, cannabis has so far defied the warnings of those opposed to legalization, who argue that easing restrictions on Legalizing cannabis would send the wrong message to teenagers and increase their use.

U.S. data, on the other hand, show that use among adults is on the rise. Last year, 20.8% of Americans aged 18 to 25 used cannabis at least once a month, the highest figure since 1985. The same is true for those aged 26–34, at 14.5% in 2016.

These figures have been rising specifically for several years, even before recreational legalization. The federal study cited above does not include older age groups, but other studies show that the’Cannabis use among older adults is also on the rise.

And while cannabis use is on the rise among adults, alcohol consumption is declining, according to the same study. In 2016, 55% of adults aged 18 and older had consumed alcohol at least once during the month, compared to 56% in 2015. Although small, the decline was statistically significant enough to be interpreted as a shift from alcohol to cannabis among some adults.

Overall, as Jonathan Caulkins explains, an American researcher on drug policy, says that alcohol consumption causes more harm to individuals and society than cannabis, even though cannabis still poses a number of risks to its users.