Record Marijuana Use Among Young Adults

The vaping of marijuana and nicotine among those aged 19 to 22 more than doubled between 2017 and 2019, according to the University of Michigan’s annual U.S. national Monitoring the Future (MTF) panel study.
 
In addition, use of marijuana in any form in 2019 among young adults ages 19 to 22 was at or near the highest levels seen over the past four decades.
 
Between 2017 and 2019, the percentage of adults aged 19 to 22 who vaped marijuana at least once in the past 30 days increased from 5 percent to 14 percent among full-time college students and from 8 percent to 17 percent among those not in college.
 
Similarly, between 2017 and 2019, the 30-day prevalence of vaping nicotine increased from 6 percent to 22 percent among college students and from 8 percent to 18 percent among adults aged 19 to 22 not in college.
 
“This doubling to tripling of prevalence of vaping marijuana and vaping nicotine over just two years are among the largest increases in MTF history for any substance since the study began over 40 years ago,” said John Schulenberg, principal investigator of the MTF study. “This is a worrisome trend given the health risks associated with vaping, including an increased risk of Covid-19 and the addictive properties of nicotine.”