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Age at First Use of Marijuana

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Percent of Students Reporting they First Smoked Marijuana at Age 13 or Younger, All Available Years: by Grade, Gender, and County

20132016
FemaleMaleTotalFemaleMaleTotal
Minnesota11th4.8%8.0%6.4%5.6%7.7%6.6%
9th8.1%9.7%8.9%6.3%6.4%6.4%
All Grades6.6%8.9%7.7%6.0%7.0%6.5%
Aitkin County11th5.6%12.5%8.8%6.3%9.3%7.8%
9th15.2%20.7%17.7%8.5%16.7%12.1%
All Grades10.8%17.0%13.7%7.5%12.7%10.0%
Anoka County11th4.6%8.7%6.6%6.1%9.2%7.7%
9th9.2%11.3%10.2%7.7%7.0%7.4%
All Grades7.4%10.2%8.7%7.0%8.0%7.5%
Becker County11th6.5%12.4%9.6%3.7%6.3%5.0%
9th9.3%7.6%8.4%3.9%4.8%4.3%
All Grades8.0%9.8%9.0%3.8%5.5%4.7%
Beltrami County11th14.1%13.8%13.9%10.8%10.1%10.4%
9th14.1%14.9%14.5%17.6%13.8%15.6%
All Grades14.1%14.4%14.3%14.6%12.2%13.3%
Benton County11th1.8%9.1%5.2%5.1%3.7%4.5%
9th5.1%9.5%7.3%6.8%6.8%6.8%
All Grades3.6%9.3%6.4%6.2%5.8%6.0%
Big Stone County11th6.1%0.0%2.6%***
9th3.3%6.1%4.8%***
All Grades4.8%2.6%3.6%***
Blue Earth County11th4.8%5.3%5.0%4.0%5.0%4.5%
9th6.7%9.6%8.2%3.6%4.8%4.2%
All Grades5.8%7.9%6.8%3.8%4.9%4.3%
Brown County11th7.4%13.1%10.3%11.5%7.1%9.3%
9th2.9%11.5%7.1%5.5%3.3%4.4%
All Grades5.1%12.3%8.7%8.2%4.9%6.5%
Carlton County11th5.8%4.4%5.1%6.2%11.3%8.6%
9th10.3%11.6%10.9%9.0%7.8%8.4%
All Grades8.2%8.2%8.2%7.6%9.3%8.5%
Carver County11th2.7%7.6%5.1%3.4%6.8%5.2%
9th5.2%7.0%6.0%2.7%4.7%3.7%
All Grades4.1%7.3%5.6%2.9%5.5%4.2%
Cass County11th15.2%17.1%16.2%22.8%18.8%20.8%
9th20.3%22.7%21.6%20.7%17.6%19.1%
All Grades17.6%19.9%18.8%21.5%18.0%19.8%
Chippewa County11thN/AN/AN/A***
9thN/AN/AN/A***
All GradesN/AN/AN/A***
Chisago County11th6.4%8.3%7.4%***
9th9.3%10.2%9.8%***
All Grades8.0%9.3%8.7%***
Clay County11th0.4%3.9%2.0%2.0%3.9%3.1%
9th6.8%4.7%5.8%8.1%7.5%7.8%
All Grades3.6%4.3%4.0%5.2%5.8%5.5%
Clearwater County11th0.0%4.0%1.9%12.5%11.4%11.9%
9th21.1%9.3%14.1%4.8%4.8%4.8%
All Grades12.1%7.6%9.7%8.1%7.1%7.6%
Cook County11th0.0%26.7%16.0%***
9th4.8%20.0%12.2%***
All Grades3.2%22.9%13.6%***
Cottonwood County11th2.9%1.7%2.2%2.3%6.0%4.3%
9th4.8%2.0%3.2%6.5%4.2%5.3%
All Grades3.9%1.8%2.7%4.4%5.1%4.8%
Crow Wing County11th1.5%15.9%9.0%***
9th3.5%7.7%5.5%***
All Grades2.6%11.6%7.0%***
Dakota County11th4.7%7.3%6.0%5.3%7.2%6.3%
9th7.2%9.4%8.3%6.0%6.1%6.1%
All Grades5.9%8.3%7.1%5.7%6.6%6.1%
Dodge County11th6.8%10.9%8.7%6.2%4.1%5.3%
9th4.3%5.6%4.9%4.8%4.5%4.6%
All Grades5.4%7.8%6.6%5.4%4.3%4.9%
Douglas County11th2.9%9.0%5.6%2.4%9.0%6.0%
9th9.3%9.2%9.2%3.9%4.6%4.2%
All Grades5.8%9.1%7.4%3.2%6.7%5.1%
Faribault County11th5.9%3.1%4.3%5.5%10.5%8.0%
9th11.3%9.0%10.1%0.0%10.7%5.9%
All Grades9.0%6.1%7.5%3.0%10.6%7.0%
Fillmore County11th2.2%4.8%3.7%4.7%8.1%6.3%
9th7.3%5.5%6.4%5.6%6.3%6.0%
All Grades5.0%5.1%5.0%5.2%7.2%6.2%
Freeborn County11th1.7%16.4%9.8%4.6%7.5%6.0%
9th9.1%7.5%8.4%7.6%11.3%9.6%
All Grades6.3%12.1%9.0%6.1%9.7%7.9%
Goodhue County11th3.3%6.7%5.2%7.3%13.4%9.8%
9th10.2%7.0%8.6%10.9%7.0%8.8%
All Grades6.5%6.8%6.7%8.9%9.6%9.3%
Grant County11th0.0%3.7%1.7%9.5%16.7%14.0%
9th11.4%7.4%9.7%6.3%5.7%6.0%
All Grades6.1%5.6%5.8%7.5%11.3%9.7%
Hennepin County11th4.0%7.9%5.9%5.6%7.8%6.7%
9th7.9%9.9%8.9%4.6%4.9%4.7%
All Grades6.0%8.9%7.4%5.0%6.1%5.6%
Houston County11th0.0%1.7%0.9%2.5%4.9%3.5%
9th0.0%6.9%3.3%3.7%1.9%2.7%
All Grades0.0%3.9%2.0%3.1%3.0%3.1%
Hubbard County11th12.3%8.7%10.4%9.7%11.3%10.5%
9th16.9%11.5%14.6%16.1%18.1%17.0%
All Grades14.7%9.9%12.5%13.2%14.7%13.9%
Isanti County11th6.7%12.2%9.1%14.0%13.2%13.6%
9th14.0%15.3%14.7%13.3%16.1%14.7%
All Grades11.1%14.2%12.6%13.6%14.7%14.2%
Itasca County11th12.8%7.3%10.3%4.3%12.0%8.6%
9th15.2%15.4%15.3%8.6%9.2%8.9%
All Grades14.2%12.3%13.3%7.0%10.5%8.8%
Jackson County11th1.9%11.1%6.5%0.0%10.0%4.3%
9th4.4%8.6%6.8%15.9%10.0%13.1%
All Grades3.0%9.8%6.6%8.4%10.0%9.2%
Kanabec County11th12.2%12.3%12.3%13.8%15.3%14.6%
9th8.6%23.7%15.5%5.7%11.4%8.7%
All Grades10.1%17.7%14.0%9.4%13.2%11.5%
Kandiyohi County11th4.0%9.6%7.2%9.6%6.3%7.8%
9th8.7%8.0%8.3%8.5%5.8%7.1%
All Grades6.6%8.8%7.8%8.9%6.1%7.4%
Kittson County11th0.0%13.6%7.3%3.6%0.0%2.1%
9th0.0%0.0%0.0%11.1%0.0%5.9%
All Grades0.0%6.1%3.0%6.5%0.0%3.7%
Koochiching County11th13.6%13.8%13.7%***
9th17.6%8.8%13.2%***
All Grades16.1%11.1%13.4%***
Lac Qui Parle County11th0.0%3.6%1.6%0.0%0.0%0.0%
9th0.0%0.0%0.0%8.1%2.8%5.5%
All Grades0.0%1.4%0.7%4.3%1.4%2.8%
Lake County11th15.0%10.5%12.1%***
9th19.0%14.7%17.5%***
All Grades18.1%12.5%15.5%***
Lake of the Woods County11th5.9%15.4%10.0%***
9th25.0%18.2%21.7%***
All Grades13.8%16.7%15.1%***
Le Sueur County11th5.4%13.2%9.7%7.7%5.4%6.7%
9th5.0%7.5%6.3%5.8%4.6%5.2%
All Grades5.2%10.3%7.8%6.7%4.9%5.9%
Lincoln County11th4.3%0.0%2.4%***
9th13.3%4.3%7.9%***
All Grades7.9%2.4%5.0%***
Lyon County11th2.0%5.6%3.7%2.0%2.3%2.1%
9th3.4%8.4%5.9%6.7%4.4%5.5%
All Grades2.8%7.2%5.0%4.7%3.6%4.1%
McLeod County11th0.0%0.0%0.0%***
9th0.0%37.5%17.6%***
All Grades0.0%13.6%7.1%***
Mahnomen County11th16.0%19.0%17.4%15.8%16.7%16.3%
9th3.4%25.0%15.9%30.0%14.3%21.5%
All Grades9.3%23.0%16.5%24.5%15.4%19.3%
Marshall County11th0.0%1.9%1.1%0.0%8.3%4.7%
9th3.6%2.4%3.1%0.0%3.0%1.4%
All Grades2.0%2.1%2.1%0.0%5.8%2.9%
Martin County11th6.3%13.3%9.7%***
9th10.4%6.3%8.3%***
All Grades8.6%9.1%8.8%***
Meeker County11th6.7%10.1%8.5%2.5%1.4%2.0%
9th5.0%1.7%3.3%5.8%6.1%6.0%
All Grades5.6%4.9%5.2%4.4%4.3%4.4%
Mille Lacs County11th7.6%10.4%9.0%10.2%8.3%9.3%
9th14.5%11.9%13.2%10.3%13.1%11.6%
All Grades11.2%11.2%11.2%10.3%10.9%10.6%
Morrison County11th2.3%8.0%5.1%4.8%4.8%4.8%
9th8.8%5.1%6.9%6.0%4.4%5.2%
All Grades5.9%6.3%6.1%5.4%4.6%5.0%
Mower County11th9.6%10.6%10.1%6.5%4.3%5.4%
9th15.0%17.3%16.0%9.3%8.2%8.7%
All Grades12.7%13.9%13.3%8.1%6.5%7.3%
Murray County11th0.0%6.9%3.0%2.7%5.3%4.0%
9th0.0%2.8%1.4%0.0%9.5%5.2%
All Grades0.0%4.6%2.2%1.4%7.5%4.6%
Nicollet County11th6.1%5.5%5.8%***
9th5.5%3.2%4.3%***
All Grades5.8%4.3%5.0%***
Nobles County11th0.0%5.1%2.4%6.1%5.3%5.7%
9th7.7%9.0%8.3%0.0%9.7%5.5%
All Grades4.4%7.4%5.8%3.1%7.8%5.6%
Norman County11th6.7%6.7%6.7%14.3%4.3%9.8%
9th5.3%11.1%8.1%6.5%0.0%3.2%
All Grades5.9%9.1%7.5%10.2%1.9%6.2%
Olmsted County11th6.1%9.8%8.3%3.9%6.3%5.1%
9th3.3%6.0%4.6%5.3%5.5%5.4%
All Grades4.4%7.8%6.2%4.7%5.8%5.2%
Otter Tail County11th2.6%4.1%3.4%5.7%8.6%7.1%
9th5.7%6.4%6.1%4.8%3.6%4.2%
All Grades4.3%5.4%4.9%5.3%6.0%5.6%
Pennington County11th0.0%5.9%3.1%***
9th11.4%11.8%11.6%***
All Grades6.9%9.4%8.2%***
Pine County11th11.4%10.9%11.2%10.8%6.3%8.4%
9th13.5%16.4%14.8%8.5%9.0%8.8%
All Grades12.6%13.6%13.1%9.5%7.8%8.6%
Pipestone County11th6.7%3.3%5.0%***
9th2.9%9.7%6.2%***
All Grades4.7%6.6%5.6%***
Polk County11th8.3%4.7%6.4%10.0%7.1%8.7%
9th8.1%9.4%8.7%10.5%6.4%8.3%
All Grades8.1%7.1%7.6%10.2%6.7%8.5%
Pope County11th14.3%9.4%11.9%4.3%10.8%8.3%
9th19.4%4.3%10.4%0.0%6.7%3.6%
All Grades16.7%6.4%11.1%2.1%9.0%6.1%
Ramsey County11th5.5%9.5%7.4%6.4%9.2%7.8%
9th10.2%12.0%11.1%7.2%6.8%7.0%
All Grades8.0%10.8%9.3%6.8%8.0%7.4%
Red Lake County11th0.0%4.3%2.1%4.3%15.8%9.5%
9th3.7%9.4%6.8%14.3%4.3%9.1%
All Grades1.9%7.3%4.7%9.1%9.5%9.3%
Redwood County11th10.2%1.6%5.5%5.8%5.2%5.5%
9th5.8%9.1%7.6%1.5%4.8%3.1%
All Grades7.9%5.5%6.6%3.4%5.0%4.2%
Renville County11th3.2%8.3%5.5%3.1%10.8%5.9%
9th2.8%8.8%5.7%5.6%2.5%4.3%
All Grades3.0%8.6%5.6%4.2%6.5%5.1%
Rice County11th3.9%4.8%4.3%3.1%4.8%3.9%
9th9.1%6.5%7.7%1.6%5.1%3.4%
All Grades6.6%5.7%6.2%2.3%5.0%3.6%
Rock County11th0.0%2.6%1.4%***
9th5.0%2.8%3.9%***
All Grades2.7%2.7%2.7%***
Roseau County11th5.6%5.1%5.3%4.4%9.7%7.7%
9th4.9%4.9%4.9%5.9%10.4%8.3%
All Grades5.2%5.0%5.1%5.4%10.1%8.1%
St. Louis County11th8.2%9.2%8.7%7.0%7.0%7.0%
9th8.6%10.7%9.6%9.9%5.3%7.6%
All Grades8.4%10.1%9.2%8.7%6.0%7.3%
Scott County11th4.0%8.4%6.2%4.2%6.8%5.5%
9th7.1%8.5%7.8%6.2%7.0%6.6%
All Grades5.6%8.5%7.1%5.3%6.9%6.1%
Sherburne County11th3.8%8.4%6.2%5.0%6.9%5.9%
9th5.3%8.3%6.7%5.2%6.2%5.7%
All Grades4.6%8.3%6.5%5.1%6.6%5.8%
Sibley County11th0.0%0.0%0.0%10.2%11.6%10.8%
9th12.3%13.0%12.7%9.1%22.4%15.4%
All Grades6.3%7.7%7.0%9.6%17.4%13.1%
Stearns County11th3.9%5.8%4.8%2.4%4.6%3.4%
9th8.3%7.2%7.7%2.5%3.6%3.0%
All Grades6.2%6.5%6.3%2.4%4.0%3.2%
Steele County11th5.7%7.5%6.6%5.1%5.5%5.3%
9th7.9%9.2%8.5%5.0%7.6%6.4%
All Grades6.8%8.4%7.5%5.0%6.6%5.8%
Stevens County11th0.0%0.0%0.0%0.0%6.1%2.6%
9th0.0%6.3%3.7%3.0%2.4%2.7%
All Grades0.0%4.7%2.5%1.3%4.0%2.6%
Swift County11th0.0%0.0%0.0%***
9th10.7%7.7%9.3%***
All Grades5.7%3.1%4.3%***
Todd County11th0.9%7.8%3.7%2.2%8.2%5.2%
9th6.0%13.6%9.3%9.2%10.0%9.6%
All Grades3.5%10.9%6.6%5.6%9.1%7.4%
Traverse County11th0.0%0.0%0.0%***
9th9.1%0.0%4.3%***
All Grades3.4%0.0%2.0%***
Wabasha County11th3.3%3.8%3.5%3.0%7.1%4.9%
9th1.9%9.0%5.2%6.0%2.8%4.5%
All Grades2.8%5.9%4.2%4.7%4.7%4.7%
Wadena County11th5.7%3.3%4.6%3.8%3.1%3.5%
9th3.5%6.1%4.6%3.9%6.5%5.1%
All Grades4.5%4.8%4.6%3.9%4.8%4.3%
Waseca County11th4.7%7.6%6.1%1.2%6.2%3.7%
9th2.4%6.3%4.5%2.0%3.8%2.9%
All Grades3.6%6.9%5.3%1.6%4.8%3.3%
Washington County11th4.3%9.9%7.1%4.6%7.6%6.1%
9th7.4%11.6%9.5%6.1%6.6%6.4%
All Grades5.9%10.8%8.3%5.5%7.1%6.2%
Watonwan County11th8.8%7.0%7.8%5.6%12.0%8.7%
9th7.0%8.3%7.6%10.3%17.1%13.8%
All Grades7.8%7.6%7.7%8.2%15.0%11.6%
Wilkin County11th2.3%5.7%3.8%2.5%0.0%1.5%
9th7.8%5.9%7.1%10.8%2.1%5.9%
All Grades5.3%5.8%5.5%6.5%1.4%4.0%
Winona County11th7.6%8.8%8.2%8.2%6.9%7.5%
9th7.3%6.6%7.0%8.6%3.8%6.2%
All Grades7.4%7.6%7.5%8.4%5.2%6.8%
Wright County11th3.8%6.3%5.1%3.6%6.9%5.3%
9th5.8%6.6%6.2%4.0%5.9%5.0%
All Grades4.9%6.5%5.7%3.8%6.4%5.1%
Yellow Medicine County11th6.1%7.1%6.6%9.4%11.8%10.6%
9th10.8%4.5%7.4%5.3%2.3%3.7%
All Grades8.1%5.8%7.0%7.1%6.4%6.8%

About the Indicator: According to the national 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 8.5% of 9th graders and 6.7% of 11th graders reported they first used marijuana before age 13 years.

N/A or * indicates that the data are unavailable or were not collected.

Data Source: Minnesota Student Survey (MSS)

Description: The MSS is a confidential and anonymous self-administered survey given to students attending Minnesota public, charter and tribal schools. From 1995 to 2010, the survey was administered to students in 6th, 9th, and 12th grades. New in 2013, the survey was administered to students in 5th, 8th, 9th, and 11th grades. Trend data are now only available for 9th graders, and only for survey questions that did not change. Most schools elect to participate in the survey; in 2013, this included 84% of public schools in Minnesota.

Although the data are not presented here, the survey is also administered to area learning centers, juvenile correction facilities and private schools electing to participate.

Sponsored by: Minnesota Department of Education

Geographic Level: State, Region, and County

Aggregated data at the state and county level do not reveal disparities that may exist within a given geographic area.

Frequency: Data collected and reported every three years

Characteristics: The results of the MSS are also available at a county level. Data Privacy requirements mandate that data is presented in a manner such that no individual student can be identified through the presentation of the results. As part of the Data Privacy practices, the results are also presented in a manner that no individual school district could be identified through the results. Therefore, for counties that have only one school district, the results are not presented. Results are also withheld for counties in which the minimum number for student participation was not met.

The MSS is a “census” of schools, not a sample. The school districts get their own data. Fifth-graders were not asked all substance use questions. Some school districts do not participate, and student participation within the school district can vary widely. These data are self-reported.