Teen Marijuana Use Declined In Mass. After Legalization. Will It Remain Legal?

This almost isn't surprising: Teen marijuana use in Massachusetts dropped more than 50% since the state legalized adult-use cannabis, according to the Marijuana Policy Project. Past 30-day cannabis use among high schoolers fell to 12% in 2o25 from 24.5% in 2015.

Nationwide, youth cannabis use dropped 44% between 2011 and 2025, according to the Center for Disease Control .

“It’s simple economics,” Adam Smith, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. “As consumers transition into a legal market, illicit operators start to go out of business. And illegal dealers are the ones who sell cannabis to kids. Licensed retailers have regulators to answer to, and everything to lose. They check ID every time.”

Whether or not recreational marijuana will remain legal in Massachusetts remains to be seen. When voters go to the polls Nov. 3, one of the items on the ballot will vote whether to repeal the legalization statute.