March 12, 2004

How Youths Obtain Marijuana

T
he National Survey on Drug Use and asked past year marijuana users to report how
Health (NSDUH), formerly known as they obtained marijuana the last time they used
the National Household Survey on it, from whom they obtained it, and where they
Drug Abuse (NHSDA), asked respondents to were when they obtained it.1,2,3 This report
report their use of marijuana during the year focuses on youths aged 12 to 17, and responses
prior to the interview. The 2002 survey also were analyzed by gender and racial/ethnic
groups for comparative purposes.4
In Brief
Prevalence of Marijuana Use among
Youths
z According to the 2002 NSDUH,
almost 4 million youths aged According to the 2002 NSDUH, almost 4
million youths aged 12 to 17 (16 percent of
12 to 17 (16 percent) had used
youths of this age) had used marijuana at least
marijuana at least once in the once in the past year (Table 1). The rate of past
past year year marijuana use was similar among male and
female youths. White youths were more likely
z In 2002, over 60 percent of than Hispanic or black youths to have used
youths aged 12 to 17 who had marijuana in the past year.
used marijuana in the past
year obtained their most Method of Obtaining Marijuana
recently used marijuana for In 2002, over 60 percent of past year marijuana
free or shared someone else’s users aged 12 to 17 obtained their most recently
marijuana used marijuana for free or shared someone else’s
marijuana, and about one-third of youths had
z The majority of past year purchased their most recently used marijuana
marijuana users aged 12 to 17 (Figure 1). Female youths (72 percent) were
more likely than male youths (52 percent) to
obtained their most recently have obtained their most recently used marijuana
used marijuana from a friend for free or shared it. On the other hand, male
youths (41 percent) were more likely than female

The NSDUH Report (formerly The NHSDA Report) is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission
from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available on-line:
http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated.
NSDUH REPORT: HOWYOUTHS OBTAIN MARIJUANA
Table 1. Percentages of Youths Aged 12 to 17
Reporting Past Year Marijuana Use, by Demographic
Characteristics: 2002
Past Year Marijuana Use
Characteristic Percent Standard Error
Total 15.8
Gender
Male 16.3
Female 15.2
Race/Ethnicity
White 17.6
Black 12.0
Hispanic 14.1
youths (22 percent) to have bought
their most recently used marijuana.
There were no differences between
whites, blacks, and Hispanics in the
method of obtaining marijuana.
Source of Most Recently
Used Marijuana
The majority of past year marijuana
users aged 12 to 17 obtained their
most recently used marijuana from a
friend, regardless of whether they
bought it or obtained it for free or
shared it (Figure 2). Moreover,
when compared to those youths who
obtained marijuana for free or
shared it, youths who bought their
most recently used marijuana were
more likely to have obtained it from
someone they had just met or did
not know well. Youths who ob-
tained marijuana for free or shared
it were more likely than youths who
bought marijuana to have obtained
it from a relative or family member.
Among youths who bought their
most recently used marijuana, fe-
males (84 percent) were more likely
March 12, 2004
Figure 1. Percentages of Past Year Marijuana Users
Aged 12 to 17 Reporting Method of Obtaining Their
Most Recently Used Marijuana: 2002
70%
61.4
60%
0.32 50%
40%
0.43 31.9
0.44 30%
20%
0.40
0.74 10% 4.3
0.91 0.7 1.6
0%
Got It for Bought It Grew It Traded Method
Free or for It Unspecified
Shared
than males (76 percent) to have pur-
chased it from a friend. Males who Where Most Recently Used
bought marijuana were more likely Marijuana Was Obtained
than females who bought marijuana
Regardless of how youths obtained
to have obtained it from someone
their last marijuana, the most com-
they had just met or did not know
mon place where they obtained it
well (19 vs. 10 percent). There were
was inside a home, apartment, or
no gender differences regarding the
dorm. Youths who received mari-
source of obtaining marijuana
juana for free or shared it were
among youths who received their
more likely than youths who bought
most recently used marijuana for
marijuana to have obtained it inside
free or shared it.
a home, apartment, or dorm (48 vs.
Black youths were less likely than
35 percent) (Figure 3). Youths who
white or Hispanic youths to have
bought marijuana were more likely
obtained marijuana from a friend,
than youths who received it for free
regardless of whether they bought it
or shared it to have obtained it in a
or obtained it for free or shared it.
public building, outside in a public
Among youths who bought mari-
area, inside a school building, or
juana, blacks (32 percent) were more
outside on school property.
likely than whites (15 percent) and
There were no gender differ-
Hispanics (10 percent) to have pur-
ences regarding where marijuana
chased it from someone they had
was purchased among youths who
just met or did not know well.
bought it. However, among youths
Among youths who obtained mari-
who obtained marijuana for free or
juana for free or shared it, blacks (18
shared it, males were less likely than
percent) were more likely than
females to have obtained it inside a
whites (9 percent) or Hispanics (7
home, apartment, or dorm (43 vs.
percent) to have obtained it from a
52 percent); and females were less
relative or family member.
likely than males to have received it
March 12, 2004
Figure 2. Percentages of Past Year Marijuana
Users Aged 12 to 17 Reporting Source of Their
Most Recently Used Marijuana by Method Obtained:
2002
100%
83.2
78.7
80%
60%
40%
20%
10.1
2.2
0%
Friend Relative or
Family
in some other place (22 vs. 28 per-
cent).
Among past year marijuana us-
ers aged 12 to 17, blacks were more
likely than whites to have obtained
marijuana outside in a public area
and less likely than whites or His-
panics to have received it inside a
home, apartment, or dorm, regard-
less of whether the marijuana was
purchased (data not shown).
Almost 14 percent of youths who
bought marijuana did so on school
property (9 percent inside a school
and 5 percent outside on school
property). Among youths who
bought their most recently used
marijuana, white youths (9 percent)
were more likely than black youths (4
percent) to have purchased it inside
a school building.
End Notes
1. Respondents were asked how they obtained
their marijuana the last time they used it.
Response options were (1) you bought it, (2)
you traded something else for it, (3) you got it
for free or shared someone else’s, and (4) you
grew it yourself. Respondents also were
classified as “method unspecified.”
NSDUH REPORT: HOW YOUTHS OBTAIN MARIJUANA
Figure 3. Percentages of Past Year Marijuana Users
Aged 12 to 17 Reporting Location of Their Most
Recently Used Marijuana, by Method Obtained: 2002
0% 20% 40% 60%
Free or Shared It*
Bought It Inside Home, 48.0
Apartment, or Dorm 34.7
24.3
Some Other Place
18.7
3.0
Inside School Building
8.6
Outside School 2.5
15.9 on Property 4.8
5.5 19.1
1.3 3.2 Outside in a Public Area
24.5
Someone Source 1.4
Inside Public Building
They Just Unspecified 5.3 Free or
Met or Did Shared It*
1.5
Not Know Location Unspecified Bought It
3.3
Well
2. Response options for source of marijuana that 4. American Indian or Alaska Native, Native
was most recently used were (1) a friend, (2) a Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and Asian
relative or family member, and (3) someone I youths were excluded from these analyses on
had just met or didn’t know well. Those who obtaining marijuana due to the small sample
answered “don’t know” were considered to be sizes for these racial/ethnic groups.
“source unspecified.”
3. Response options for where the most recently
used marijuana was obtained were (1) inside a Table and Figure Notes
public building; (2) inside a school building; (3)
Source (table and all figures): SAMHSA 2002
outside on school property; (4) inside a home,
NSDUH.
apartment, or dorm; (5) outside in a public
area; and (6) some other place. Respondents *Youths who had not bought or traded for
were also classified as “location unspecified.” marijuana in the past year and who obtained
their most recently used marijuana for free.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health Information and data for this issue are based on
(NSDUH) is an annual survey sponsored by the the following publication and statistics:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Office of Applied Studies. (2003). Results from
Administration (SAMHSA). Prior to 2002, this
the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:
survey was called the National Household
National findings (DHHS Publication No. SMA 03-
Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). The 2002 data
3836, NHSDA Series H-22). Rockville, MD:
are based on information obtained from 68,216
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
persons aged 12 or older, including 23,645
Administration.
youths aged 12 to 17. The survey collects data
by administering questionnaires to a Also available on-line:
representative sample of the population through http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.
face-to-face interviews at their place of Because of improvements and modifications to
esidence. the 2002 NSDUH, 2002 estimates should not be
The NSDUH Report is prepared by the Office of compared with estimates from the 2001 or earlier
Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI versions of the survey to examine changes over
International in Research Triangle Park, North time.
Carolina (RTI International is a trade name of
Research Triangle Institute).
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Office of Applied Studies
www.samhsa.gov