Marijuana use has reached record levels among young adults, while teen use has remained relatively stable but still substantial in high school surveys.
Quick Take
- Federal survey data show marijuana use among adults ages 19 to 30 reached historic highs in 2022.
- Teen use remains substantial, even though 2025 data show marijuana use among 8th, 10th and 12th graders remained stable.
- Daily marijuana use remains measurable among 12th graders, with 5.1% reporting it in the latest Monitoring the Future data.
- The data show a split trend: teen use has remained relatively stable, while young-adult use reached record highs in the latest long-term data.
Young-Adult Use Reached Record Levels
The clearest increase appears among Americans ages 19 to 30. National Institute on Drug Abuse data show past-year marijuana use in that group reached about 44 percent in 2022, while daily use hit 11 percent, both the highest levels ever recorded by the study. The same survey found past-year marijuana vaping among 19- to 30-year-olds reached 21% in 2022, the highest level recorded since that measure was introduced in 2017.
The trend is not limited to people reporting occasional use. Daily marijuana use among 19- to 30-year-olds also reached a record 11% in 2022. Frequency also matters because daily or near-daily use represents a different pattern from occasional experimentation. When daily or near-daily use rises, the question shifts from experimentation to regular consumption.
Teen Use Remains Substantial But Stable
The National Institutes of Health’s 2025 Monitoring the Future data put past-year marijuana use at 26% for 12th graders, 16% for 10th graders and 8% for 8th graders. Daily use was reported by 5.1% of 12th graders and 0.7% of 8th graders in the 2025 data. The figures show that daily marijuana use is still reported by a measurable share of high school seniors.
Earlier CDC data from 2022 put past-year cannabis use among 12th graders at 30.7%, with 6.3% reporting daily use in the previous 30 days. The newer 2025 Monitoring the Future survey puts past-year use at 26%, showing that the older CDC figures should not be treated as the current teen rate. The newer data instead point to a more stable pattern among teens, with marijuana remaining one of the more commonly reported substances in the survey. That is why schools, parents, and doctors keep treating marijuana as a real adolescent health issue.
The Age Divide Tells A Different Story
One reason this debate keeps returning is that the age groups are moving differently. Research published in the American Journal of Public Health found that adult marijuana use and frequency increased during several periods through 2022, while adolescent use decreased or stabilized over the same broader period. An earlier academic review reached a similar conclusion, saying teen use stayed stable while young-adult use increased over the past decade.
The Senate’s rejection of Sen. Ted Budd’s amendment keeps a one-month delay (pushing most of the hemp-derived THC restrictions from November 12 to December 11) in the government funding bill. Lawmakers such as Sen. Ted Cruz have said this window “gives Congress and the…
— Random9 – e/acc 🍒 🍒 🍒 (@anonymous_zoot) August 8, 2026
The difference between the age groups is important when interpreting the national numbers. The highest reported rates in these datasets are concentrated among young adults rather than high school students. Federal sources also note that cannabis use is most common among young adults, and that heavier use has grown over time. The numbers complicate the broader debate over legalization and public-health policy because the trends differ sharply by age.
What The Data Actually Show
The data show two distinct trends. Marijuana use among adults ages 19 to 30 reached record levels in the 2022 Monitoring the Future survey, with 44% reporting past-year use and 11% reporting daily use. Among teenagers, the picture is different. The 2025 Monitoring the Future survey found marijuana use remained stable, with 26% of 12th graders, 16% of 10th graders and 8% of 8th graders reporting past-year use.
The numbers therefore support a more specific conclusion than a blanket claim that marijuana use is surging among young Americans. Young-adult use has reached historically high levels, while teen use remains substantial but comparatively stable. That distinction is important as policymakers, parents and schools debate the consequences of marijuana legalization and changing attitudes toward cannabis.
Sources:
redstate.com, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, news.ohsu.edu, hazeldenbettyford.org, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
