Fewer young Minnesotans reported using cannabis in the years since the state legalized recreational marijuana for adults 21 or older in 2023, according to data released by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

The 2025 Minnesota Student Survey, which is conducted every three years and most recently released on April 20, found that the percentage of 8th, 9th and 11th graders who reported using cannabis in the past 12 months fell by more than half since 2013.

However, the survey also found that many of those who do use cannabis are starting young, with 41% reporting their first use at age 13 or 14. Eighth graders were significantly more likely than older students to report using marijuana for the first time at age 12 or younger.

“Despite positive trends, the student survey indicates that some of our children are encountering cannabis at young ages,” said MDH Commissioner Brooke Cunningham in a news release. “We need to talk to our children about cannabis before they encounter it because we know the potential harms that early use can bring to their developing brains, mental health and futures.”

Just 4% of surveyed students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, down from 10% in 2013.

Cannabis use in adolescence is associated with short and long-term health problems, including cognitive impairment and increased risk of mood disorders, according to the MDH. It has been linked to depression, anxiety and psychosis, as well as heart and lung problems.

More students said they believed regular cannabis use poses moderate or great harm than those that did in 2022, the last time the survey was conducted, reversing nearly a decade of decline in that sentiment. About 58% agreed consuming marijuana once or twice a week was harmful, while just 20% said it posed no harm.

Young people also greatly overestimate how many students their age use cannabis, with 54% of students saying they thought their peers consume marijuana. The survey found 92% reported never using it.

Of those who said they have used marijuana, about a third reported smoking it, another third said they preferred vapes and 19% favored edibles. About 7% reported “dabbing” high-potency cannabis concentrates. About 40% said they were able to obtain cannabis products from friends, while about 5% said they purchased them from retail stores or dispensaries.

Roughly half of students across all three age groups who reported using cannabis said they sometimes combine it with alcohol, the survey found. Nearly three in 10 eighth graders said they “usually” mix the substances.

Heidi Glesmann, who oversees MDH’s substance use prevention unit, declined to draw conclusions about the effectiveness of laws intended to keep cannabis out of the hands of those under age 21. She said the survey findings show that educating young people about the potential risks of cannabis use needs to be a community effort, especially for younger students.

“This is the first year that we asked the question about the first time you’ve used cannabis and at what age,” Glesmann said. “To us, that continues to (suggest) the importance of having that conversation with youth about cannabis use and the harms it can have on their developing brains.”

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