Jan. 5, 2022 — Nearly one in five Americans age 12 or older said they used marijuana in 2021, according to new federal findings.
Of the 52 million people who used marijuana in the past year, young people aged 18 to 25 were the most likely to have used marijuana, accounting for 35 percent. This age group was also the most likely to report having a mental illness in the past year, at 34%.
This Find is part of the annual national survey released Wednesday by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“As the findings demonstrate, in the second year of the pandemic, millions of young and old Americans are facing mental health challenges,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a report. and substance use challenges — sometimes both at the same time.” statement.
The survey was conducted both on-site and online, and officials said the data could not be accurately compared with previous years’ results because of a change in survey methodology. But there are many signs of an increase in drug use and mental illness as the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Overall, the 2021 survey results show that 57.8 percent of people aged 12 or older currently use tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs, with 47.5 percent saying they drink alcohol, 19.5 percent saying they use tobacco products, and 14.3 percent of people say they use tobacco products they use illegal drugs. Current use was defined as use of a substance in the month preceding the survey.
The 18- to 25-year-old group was the most likely to experience a substance use disorder in the past year, in addition to being the most prevalent age group among marijuana users and those with mental illness. The survey showed that 94 percent of people with substance use disorders were not receiving treatment, the researchers wrote, and “nearly all people with substance use disorders who were not being treated in a professional setting believed they did not need treatment.”
