ANN ARBOR, Mich. — As more and more states across the country legalize marijuana, young adults ages 19 to 30 are consuming less alcohol and more marijuana and hallucinogens.
The trends were reported as part of the University of Michigan's continuing "Monitoring the Future" (MTF) study. The study measures drug and alcohol use and related attitudes among adolescents, young adults and adults and issues a report annually.
In late August, the university published a report that marijuana and hallucinogen use among young adults was up to historic highs in 2021. Over 40% of adults ages 19 to 30 had reported using marijuana at least once in the last year while nearly 10% reported using hallucinogens in the same time period.
The report also showed that alcohol use was slowly trending downwards, while still relatively high among young adults with over 80% reporting to have drank at least one alcoholic beverage in the last year.
Binge drinking — considered to be five or more drinks in a row — had also been declining among young adults over the last decade, but saw a spike in 2021 after a serious dip during the pandemic.
“One of the best ways we can learn more about drug use and its impact on people is to observe which drugs are appearing, in which populations, for how long, and under which contexts,” said Megan Patrick, Ph.D., a research professor at the University of Michigan and principal investigator of the MTF panel study. “Monitoring the Future and similar large-scale surveys on a consistent sample population allow us to assess the effects of ‘natural experiments’ like the pandemic. We can examine how and why drugs are used and highlight critical areas to guide where the research should go next and to inform public health interventions.”
MTF also monitors the use of other substances like cigarette use, nicotine and marijuana vaping use, narcotics use and stimulant use. A summary of the findings for 2021 can be found here.
Yearly Marijuana Use Among Adults 19-30
Percent of participants who used marijuana in a 12-month period.
- 2017 - 36.3%
- 2018 - 38.3%
- 2019 - 39.9%
- 2020 - 42%
- 2021 - 42.6%
Yearly Hallucinogen Use Among Adults 19-30
Percent of participants who used a hallucinogen in a 12-month period.
- 2017 - 4.3%
- 2018 - 5.3%
- 2019 - 5.1%
- 2020 - 7.6%
- 2021 - 8.1%
Yearly Alcohol Use Among Adults 19-30
Percent of participants who drank an alcoholic beverage in a 12-month period.
- 2017 - 82%
- 2018 - 82.4%
- 2019 - 81.9%
- 2020 - 82.2%
- 2021 - 81.8%
Binge Drinking Among Adults 19-30
Percent of participants who drank five or more drinks in a row during a 2-week period.
- 2017 - 31.3%
- 2018 - 30.5%
- 2019 - 31.8%
- 2020 - 28%
- 2021 - 32%
Cigarette Use Among Adults 19-30
Percent of participants who used tobacco in a 12-month period.
- 2017 - 23.1%
- 2018 - 22.5%
- 2019 - 21.3%
- 2020 - 21%
- 2021 - 18.6%
The MTF study has been measuring drug and alcohol use among the American population since 1975 and issues large annual reports as well as smaller reports throughout the year.
“As the drug landscape shifts over time, this data provides a window into the substances and patterns of use favored by young adults. We need to know more about how young adults are using drugs like marijuana and hallucinogens, and the health effects that result from consuming different potencies and forms of these substances,” said National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow, M.D. “Young adults are in a critical life stage and honing their ability to make informed choices. Understanding how substance use can impact the formative choices in young adulthood is critical to help position the new generations for success.”
Learn more about the program and view the data that the University of Michigan has collected here.
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