This adds up to 18 million Americans, including children, who reported using marijuana in the past year. More than 137,564,000 Americans were treated for marijuana abuse in 1994. The problems associated with marijuana use were greatest among the youngest age groups. Forty-two percent experienced three or more problems, including loss of control over their use. Increases in use can be attributed, in part, to cultural influences that minimize the danger or glamorize drug use.
Survey data regarding parental expectations are also instructive.
Consequently, parental attitudes and expectations regarding the risks of drug use are significant contributing factors to the growing acceptance of marijuana use among teens. Age Marijuana use among adolescents increased steadily between 1992 and 1997. The rising incidence in use among U.S. citizens reported throughout the 1990s appears to be due to the new users among teen-agers. Age itself is one of the most significant variables in understanding marijuana use. From age 12 to age 13, the percentage of teens who say they know a student at their school who sells illegal drugs almost triples, from 8 percent to 22 percent.