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This is The Drug Report’s Friday Fact report - Key Findings on High School Marijuana Use in Maine in 2023

The results of the 2023 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey sheds light on marijuana use among Maine high school students over the past 30 days: 

• Incremental Increase by Age: A steady increase in marijuana use is observed with age. Past-month use by 15-year-olds stood at 13.6% and rose to 20.2% for 16-year-olds, 23.8% for 17-year-olds, and 25.0% for those 18 or older.

• Similar Increase by Grade: 10.6% of 9th graders were past-month users, compared to 16.2% of 10th graders, 21.7% of 11th graders, and 25.5% of 12th graders. 

• Females Report Higher Use: Across all high school grades and ages, females were more likely than males to have been past-month marijuana users. 

• Use on School Property: 5.5% of high school students reported that they used marijuana on school property in the past 30 days. 

• Impaired Driving: Of concern, 17.9% of high school students also reported that in the past 30 days they rode in a car driven by someone who had been using marijuana. Among those who drove a car in the past 30 days, 9.7% said they had also been using marijuana. 

• Notably, these are past-month estimates, which are indicative of heavier, more frequent use. The prevalence of past-year use among this age would be even higher. 

These statistics are weighted to ensure a more accurate representation of statewide trends and will be instrumental in guiding our youth health initiatives and policies moving forward. 

Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) is an alliance of organizations and individuals dedicated to a health-first approach to marijuana policy. We are professionals working in mental health and public health. We are bipartisan. We are medical doctors, lawmakers, treatment providers, preventionists, teachers, law enforcement officers and others who seek a middle road between incarceration and legalization. Our commonsense, third-way approach to marijuana policy is based on reputable science and sound principles of public health and safety.