Alcohol Up, Marijuana Down for Teens

Cannabis use has hit a 20-year low for minors aged 12 to 17, according to a new government study.

Marijuana consumption by U.S. teenagers fell in 2016, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Meanwhile, alcohol use rates among teens have risen — leaving some to wonder if minors may be substituting cannabis for alcohol, according to Leafly.

Past-month youth cannabis-use rates among minors aged 12 to 17 have gently but steadily decreased since 2002. The rate in 2016 — 6.5%, down half a percentage point from a year earlier — is now the lowest in more than 20 years, according to SAMHSA data released this month.

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