PREVENTING

 

MARIJUANA USE AMONG  

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS 
PREVENTING MARIJUANA USE

AMONG YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS

The Drug Enforcement 

Administration’s (DEA) 

primary mission and 

responsibility is to 

enforce the nation's 

federal drug laws. 

But the DEA also 

has a responsibility 

to educate the public 

about the dangers and 

consequences of drug 

abuse based on facts 

and scientific evidence. 

The DEA is especially 

concerned about 

marijuana use and its 

negative consequences 

among youth and young 

adults. This publication 

provides an overview 

of the prevalence of 

marijuana use among 

this population; the 

physical, academic, and 

social consequences; 

tips for how to get 

involved to prevent 

marijuana use among 

youth and young adults; 

and federal resources 

to assist in your efforts. 

SCOPE OF THE ISSUE 

Marijuana Use in  

the United States 

In 2015, more than 22 million Americans 

aged 12 or older were current users 

of marijuana.1 

■ Adolescents aged 12-17: 1.8 million

■ Young adults aged 18-25: 6.9 million

■ Adults aged 26 or older: 13.6 million

13.6 M 

1.8 M 

6.9 M 

Marijuana Use among Youth 

• In 2015, 7.0 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17

were current users of marijuana, which means

approximately 1.8 million adolescents used

marijuana in the past month.1 

• The percentage of adolescents in 2015 who

were current marijuana users was similar to the

percentages in most years between 2004 and 2014.1 

Marijuana Use among 

College Students 

• Daily or near-daily marijuana use has increased in recent

years for college students, rising from 3.5 percent in

2007 to 4.6 percent in 2015.2 

• This means one in every 22 college students uses

marijuana daily or near daily.2 

• Almost 38 percent of college students said they used

marijuana in 2015, compared with 30 percent in 2006.2 

• Since 2003, 19- to 22-year-olds seeing regular marijuana

use as dangerous to the user has declined sharply, from

58 percent in 2003 to 33 percent by 2015.2 

2 
Changes in Perceived Risk

 

• A large majority of 12th graders perceive that 

regular use of any illicit drug presents great risk 

of harm for the user.3 

• In 2015, 85 percent of 12th graders perceived 

great risk of harm from regular use of heroin 

(85 percent), crack (81 percent), cocaine 

(79 percent), and LSD (61 percent).3 

• Among the illicit drugs, marijuana has the lowest 

perceived risk, with approximately one-third (32 

percent) thinking regular use carries great risk.3 

• Substantial proportions of 12th graders view even 

experimenting (i.e., using once or twice) with 

most of the illicit drugs as risky. But only 12 

percent of 12th graders see experimenting with 

marijuana as entailing great risk.3 

• Only 32 percent of 12th graders perceive risk of 

harm from regular marijuana use, which is its 

lowest level ever. Between 2006 and 2015, 

perceived risk of regular use generally declined, 

while current use (i.e., past 30 days) rose 

steadily, at least through 2012.3 

KNOW THE FACTS 

Marijuana is addictive. 

• Research suggests 30 percent of users may 

develop some form of problem use, which can 

lead to dependence and addiction.4 

• People who begin using marijuana before age 

18 are 4 to 7 times more likely than adults to 

develop problem use.4 

Marijuana has short- and longterm effects on the brain. 

• When marijuana is smoked, the mind-altering 

chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) passes from 

the lungs to the bloodstream.4 

• Blood then carries the chemical to the brain and 

other organs throughout the body.4 

• User generally feels the effects after 30 to 60 

minutes, including changes in mood, impaired 

body movement, difficulty with thinking and 

problem solving, and impaired memory.4 

• When marijuana users begin using as teenagers, 

long-term effects can include reductions in 

thinking, memory, and learning functions.4 

3 
Marijuana use can have a wide range 

of physical and mental effects. 

• Physical effects include breathing problems, 

increased heart rate, and problems with child 

development during and after pregnancy.4 

• Long-term use has been linked to mental illness 

in some users, such as temporary hallucinations, 

temporary paranoia, and worsening symptoms in 

patients with schizophrenia.4 

Marijuana is unsafe if 

you are behind the wheel. 

• Marijuana is the most common illegal drug 

involved in auto fatalities.5 

• Marijuana is found in the blood of approximately 

14 percent of drivers who die in car crashes, 

often in combination with alcohol or other drugs.5 

• Marijuana affects skills required for safe driving: 

- alertness 

- concentration 

- coordination
 

- reaction time5
 

Marijuana is linked to school failure. 

• Marijuana’s negative effects on attention, 

memory, and learning can last for days and 

sometimes weeks.5 

• Students who smoke marijuana tend to get 

lower grades and are more likely to drop out 

of high school, compared with their peers 

who don’t use.5 

• Research shows IQ can be lowered if 

marijuana is smoked regularly during the 

teen years.5 

4 
The THC content in 

marijuana has been 

increasing since the 1980s. 

• In the early 1990s, 

average THC content in 

confiscated samples was 

roughly 3.7 percent for 

marijuana; in 2016, it 

was 13.18 percent.6 

• Smoking or eating THCrich hash oil extracted from 

the marijuana plant may 

deliver high levels of THC 

to the user.7 

• Average marijuana extract 

contains over 50 percent 

THC; some samples 

exceed 80 percent.7 

Exposure to higher THC levels 

means a greater chance of 

a harmful reaction. 

• Higher THC levels 

may explain the rise in 

emergency room visits 

involving marijuana use.4 

• Users can mix marijuana in 

food (i.e., edibles), such as 

brownies, cookies, or candy, 

or brew it as a tea. Edibles 

take longer to digest and 

produce a high, so people 

may consume more to feel 

the effects faster, leading 

to dangerous results.4 

• Higher THC levels may mean a greater risk for addiction if 

users are regularly exposing themselves to high doses.4 

What is 

THC? 

• The primary mind-altering 

chemical in marijuana, 

responsible for most of 

the intoxicating effect 

people seek, is delta-9­

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).7 

• The chemical is found 

in resin produced by the 

leaves and buds primarily 

of the female cannabis 

plant. The plant also 

contains over 500 other 

chemicals, including more 

than 100 compounds that 

are chemically related to 

THC, called cannabinoids.7 

• Organs in the body have 

fatty tissues that quickly 

absorb the THC in 

marijuana. Standard urine 

tests can detect traces of 

THC several days after use. 

In heavy marijuana users, 

urine tests can sometimes 

detect THC traces for 

weeks after use stops.7 

5 
Marijuana 

as Medicine? 

• The term “medical marijuana” refers to using 

the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its 

basic extracts to treat a disease or symptom.8 

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

has not recognized or approved the marijuana 

plant as medicine. However, two FDA-approved 

medications contain cannabinoid chemicals 

in pill form.8 

• The FDA requires carefully conducted clinical 

trials in hundreds to thousands of human 

subjects to determine the benefits and risks 

of a possible medication. To date, researchers 

have not conducted a sufficient number of 

large-scale clinical trials to show that the 

benefits of the marijuana plant (as opposed 

to its cannabinoid ingredients) outweigh its 

risks in patients it is meant to treat.8 

“But It’s 

Legal Now” 

• Currently, eight states and 

the District of Columbia allow 

“recreational” (i.e., personal) 

use of marijuana. 

• To date, 28 states and the 

District of Columbia allow 

medical use of marijuana. 

• However, under federal law, 

marijuana is not medicine and 

its use is prohibited. 

• Under the federal Controlled 

Substances Act, marijuana is 

classified as a Schedule I drug, 

meaning it has no currently 

accepted medical use and 

a high potential for abuse. 

Is Marijuana 

a Gateway 

Drug? 

Some research suggests that marijuana 

use is likely to precede use of other 

licit and illicit substances. Marijuana 

use also is linked to substance use 

disorders, including addiction to 

alcohol and nicotine.9 

6 
GET INVOLVED IN PREVENTION 

• Red Ribbon Week is an annual opportunity 

for children, teens, and adults to show they 

are committed to being healthy and drug free. 

The nationwide event occurs annually on 

October 23-31. (www.dea.gov/redribbon/ 

RedRibbonCampaign.shtml) 

• Red Ribbon Patch Program provides Boy 

Scouts and Girl Scouts the opportunity to 

earn a patch from the DEA by performing 

anti-drug activities. (www.dea.gov/redribbon/ 

boy_scouts.shtml) 

• National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week is an 

annual health observance for teens that aims 

to shatter myths about drugs and drug abuse. 

(www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/public-educationprojects/national-drug-alcohol-facts-week) 

• National Prevention Week is an annual health 

observance held in May. Communities and 

organizations nationwide promote the importance 

of substance misuse prevention and positive 

mental health. (www.samhsa.gov/prevention-week) 

• Join your school or community’s anti-drug 

coalition. If your school or community doesn’t 

have one, visit www.cadca.org to learn how to 

start a coalition in your community. 

• Organize a drug abuse prevention information 

fair at your school to help raise awareness of 

the impact of drug use on individuals, families, 

and communities. 

• Set up a program to help educate your peers or 

younger children about substance abuse. Being 

a mentor or role model for younger children can 

have a positive impact on them. 

It’s important to be up to date on drug facts and 

trends. Get information and training from local 

contacts and programs to help you in these areas. 

Some potential resources include: 

• The DEA has a Demand Reduction Coordinator 

in each Field Division around the nation: 

www.dea.gov/about/domesticoffices.shtml 

• Several federal agencies have publications 

and other resources that are free of charge: 

- DEA: www.dea.gov/prevention/overview.shtml 

- National Institute on Drug Abuse:
 

www.drugabuse.gov/children-and-teens
 

- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration: www.samhsa.gov 

7 
For more information, please e-mail 

demand.reduction@usdoj.gov. 

This publication 

was produced by 

the United States 

Drug Enforcement 

Administration 

(www.dea.gov). 

PREVENTING 

MARIJUANA USE AMONG 

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS 

RESOURCES 

www.justthinktwice.com 

DEA’s website for teens provides credible 

information about various drugs and harmful 

effects of drug use. 

www.teens.drugabuse.gov 

NIDA’s website for teens where you can learn 

how different drugs affect the brain and body. 

www.store.samhsa.gov 

SAMHSA’s brochure, Tips for Teens: The Truth 

about Marijuana, contains information about 

marijuana, including how it affects the brain, 

short- and long-term health risks, and signs 

of marijuana use. 

SOURCES 

1. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2016) Key 

substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: 

Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health 

(HHS Publication No. SMA 16-4984, NSDUH Series H-51). 

2. Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G., Schulenberg, J.E, 

and Miech, R.A. (2016) Monitoring the Future national survey 

results on drug use, 1975-2015: Volume 2, College students 

and adults ages 19-55. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, 

The University of Michigan. 

3. Miech, R.A, Johnston, L.D., O’Malley, P.M., Bachman, J.G., and 

Schulenberg, J.E. (2016) Monitoring the Future national survey 

results on drug use, 1975-2015: Volume I, Secondary school 

students. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, 

The University of Michigan. 

4. NIDA (2016). Marijuana. Retrieved February 16, 2017, 

from www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana. 

National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

5. NIDA (2015). Marijuana: Facts for Teens. Retrieved February 16, 

2017, from www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-factsteens. National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes 

of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

6. University of Mississippi, Potency Monitoring Program, Quarterly 

Report 135. 

7. NIDA (2017). Marijuana. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from 

www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana. 

National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

8. NIDA (2015). Is Marijuana Medicine?. Retrieved February 

16, 2017, from www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/ 

marijuana-medicine. National Institute on Drug Abuse; National 

Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services. 

9. NIDA (2017). Marijuana. Retrieved March 15, 2017, from 

www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana.