Survey finds spike in marijuana use among Arizona students

By Sharon Mittelman

PHOENIX — Arizona students are smoking marijuana at higher rates than ever before, according to a recent study from the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.

Marijuana use has increased by more than 100 percent among eighth to 10th grade students and increased by 35 percent among 10th to 12th grade students, this year’s Arizona Youth Survey found.

Students who participated in the survey also admitted to abusing alcohol and prescription drugs within the last 30 days, in addition to marijuana.

Twenty-three percent of 12th graders said they used marijuana in the last month, compared to 15 percent of 10th graders and seven percent of eighth graders.

Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said that statistic should prompt a closer look at what’s behind the numbers.

“That calls into question what are we doing from eighth grade to 12th grade, where we’re seeing such an increase in the percentage of youth who have used marijuana in the past 30 days.” Montgomery said.

Montgomery also pointed to another troubling statistic found by the survey: 19.7 percent of 12th grade students reported driving under the influence of marijuana in the last 30 days.

The Maricopa County attorney said part of the blame was to be pointed at the state’s medical marijuana program, which he said was not keeping the drug in the hands of those who actually need it.

“I think it may be time for us to take a look at that entire program to see whether or not it needs serious reform to insure that its doing what we were told it was supposed to do, and keep it out of the hands of kids,” Montgomery said.

The survey found that 16 percent of students obtained marijuana from someone with a legal medical marijuana card, compared to 67 percent of students who got it from friends, 24 percent who obtained the drug at parties and 13 percent who got it from relatives.

The survey obtained responses from more than 57,000 eighth through 12th graders from 15 counties across the state on issues from drug use to bullying.

The survey also found that nearly 40 percent of students said they had witnessed bullying on school property at least once during the past 12 months.