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 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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