Flavored marijuana vaping is now the most common form of use among American teenagers who vape cannabis, according to new findings from the University of Michigan's annual Monitoring the Future surveys.
The research, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, found particularly sharp increases among younger teens between 2021 and 2024. Among eighth graders who vaped marijuana, the percentage using flavored solutions jumped from 47% in 2021 to 63% in 2024. The trend was similar for older students, with use climbing from 41% to 53% for 10th graders and from 36% to 50% for 12th graders.
"The findings suggest that these products are gaining traction among youth; in fact, since the pandemic onset in 2020 youth appear to be turning toward these products while reducing their use of all other drugs," said Richard Miech , principal investigator of the Monitoring the Future study at U-M's Institute for Social Research.
The overall percentage of marijuana users who chose to vape the drug also grew over the study period. Among eighth graders who had used marijuana in the past 12 months, the percentage who vaped it increased from 48% to 57%. In 10th grade, the number went from 60% to 66%, and among 12th graders, it rose from 58% to 67%.
"Flavored vaping solutions offer a discreet mode of cannabis use, with flavors apparently enhancing their appeal," Miech said. "The study results suggest that a growing proportion of youth find the newly available flavors—especially fruit flavors—more attractive than the standard cannabis taste.
"Vaping does not produce the distinctive odor that comes from smoking cannabis, and vaping devices can be quickly concealed if an authority figure appears unexpectedly."
More addictive?
This increase in those who vaped highlights growing public health concerns about changing patterns of substance use among teens.
"As for health consequences for cannabis use, one of the most potentially serious is addiction," Miech said. "Should cannabis use become more popular among youth in future years, then a greater number will end up with an addiction that can impair their social and academic life. Many people may not realize that more adolescents meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder than for alcohol use disorder, with 5% affected by cannabis compared to 3% for alcohol."
These results point to flavored marijuana vaping solutions as a critical area for future research and policy development. The study's authors suggest that these findings underscore the need for targeted policies, interventions and educational campaigns to address and mitigate this escalating concern among young people.
"Our survey includes questions on both cannabis's perceived risk and its social acceptability," Miech said. "Interestingly, perceived risk among adolescents actually increased over the study period from 2021-24, and social acceptability has gone down. That being said, our questions so far have been about cannabis use in general, and not flavored cannabis solutions, which students may view differently."
Next? Would restricting flavored vapes work?
Recent trends in adolescent cannabis vaping raise concerns about the best way to protect youth. Restricting flavors may seem like an easy solution, but it is by no means a guaranteed success, researchers said.
Teens who seek flavored cannabis products could easily shift to unflavored options or return to smoking cannabis in traditional forms. At the same time, adults in states with legal cannabis may resist limits on flavor choices, and industry lobbying could block such policies.
"An alternative approach to restricting supply of cannabis flavors is to restrict demand," Miech said. "That is, to reduce teens' interest and willingness to use cannabis, including flavored vaping solutions. A demand reduction approach has been very effective for cigarettes."
Evidence from previous studies on cigarette use supports this approach. In 1998, 35% of 12th graders had used cigarettes in the past month. By 2024, that number dropped to 3%. Cigarettes remained legal and available, but broad-based media campaigns, public education and tighter rules on marketing to youth drove the change.
"In my view, the cannabis industry should be deeply concerned about any rise in youth cannabis use," Miech said. "In today's polarized political climate, there are few issues with bipartisan appeal, but portraying the cannabis industry as a threat to children could well be one of them."
Study: Trends in US Adolescent Use of Vaping and Flavored Solutions for Marijuana Consumption, 2021-2024
