New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School found that rates of cannabis use during adolescence have declined since 2013, though some large disparities persist.
Past studies have shown that cannabis use during adolescence is associated with a variety of negative impacts - including emotional distress, adverse academic outcomes and brain development and functioning - that can persist into adulthood. Though there has been an overall decrease in cannabis use among Minnesota adolescents over the past decade, prior studies have been limited in their ability to examine the nuances in this trend - particularly the differences in use between social groups.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School were determined to dig deeper. Their study, published this week in Social Science and Medicine, used extensive school-based survey data to examine how rates of cannabis use and disparities among its users have changed from 2013 to 2025. Using data from the Minnesota Student Survey, they compared the prevalence of cannabis use across survey years and across social identities, including assigned sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, racial and ethnic identity and socioeconomic status. The researchers examined data from 9th and 11th grade students beginning in 2013.
The study found:
- The prevalence of past 30-day cannabis use declined among adolescents from 2013 to 2025, from 13% to 5%.
- For almost all social identities, marginalized youth (such as youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth) had significantly elevated odds of reporting cannabis use compared to the privileged group on that identity variable.
- Some social groups - particularly racial and ethnic groups - saw a decline in comparative cannabis use. For example, in 2013, non-Hispanic Black, African or African American youth were 51% more likely to use cannabis than Non-Hispanic white youth; in 2025, they were 10% less likely to use cannabis than white youth.
- Some of the largest disparities remained stable from 2013 to 2025. In particular, American Indian/Alaska Native youth, LGBTQ+ youth and youth experiencing poverty were all three times more likely to use cannabis than white, straight and non-impoverished youth, respectively, across the time period.
"This is kind of a good news, bad news story," said Marla Eisenberg, lead author of the study and a professor in the Medical School on the Twin Cities campus. "We were really glad to see that the major decreases in cannabis use across Minnesota youth were not just limited to some groups. And in some cases, we saw real improvements in terms of disparities. But for LGBTQ+ youth in particular, disparities got better for a while, but then got worse again. This highlights an area we really need to focus on."
Previous research has shown that social stigmatization - such as bullying rooted in discrimination - is a major contributor to disparities in cannabis use. The researchers recommend that efforts to advance health equity, therefore, will be more effective if they directly address reducing stigma and discrimination, particularly as it affects LGBTQ+ youth.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health Cannabis Research Center.
