Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness (Bisti Badlands) is a 45,000-acre wilderness area full of rock formations made of sandstone, shale, mudstone, and silt.
Angel Peak Scenic Area is located 15 miles south of Bloomfield in San Juan County, with over 10,000 acres of rugged terrain, badlands and deep canyons.
Navajo Lake is a 3800 feet long and 400 feet deep reservoir located in northeastern San Juan County, created from a dam completed in 1962.
Shiprock (Tsé Bitʼaʼí, "rock with wings") is a 27 million year old volcanic rock formation, designated as a National Natural Landmark, rising 1,583 feet above the desert.
The eggs and hoodoos in the Bisti Wilderness were formed in sand and silt revealed 73 million years ago when the Western Interior Seaway receded.
The La Plata Mountains, seen from San Juan County, are a small subrange of the San Juan Mountains in sw Colorado, and includes Hesperus Mountain at 13,332 feet.
The San Juan River is a 383 mile long major tributary of the Colorado River and a primary drainage for the Four Corners.
The Aztec Ruins National Monument, on 318 acres, consists of dwellings and sacred structures built by Ancient Pueblo Indians in the 12th and 13th Centuries.

Cannabis & Other Drug Use

Category: Substance Use

Cannabis (Marijuana) Use - High School

On the most recent Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS, 2023), self-report of current (past 30-day) marijuana use among high school students in San Juan County was 15.9%, statistically similar to New Mexico's rate of 17.9% and the U.S. rate of 17.0%.

On a newer YRRS question, 6.8% of high school youth reported having driven a vehicle after using marijuana, compared to 10.7% across New Mexico.

Marijuana Use, Past 30-day
Marijuana Use and Driving

Trends, Marijuana and Other Drug Use - High School

After several years of incremental increases, self-report of marijuana (cannabis) use among high school youth declined from 27.6% in 2019 to 15.9% on the most recent YRRS in 2023. 

Early Initiation of Marijuana Use

On the most recent YRRS, in 2023, 7.7% of high school students in San Juan County reported first use of marijuana before age 13, which is statistically similar to New Mexico's rate of 10.5%, and somewhat above the U.S. rate of 4.8%. Two-thirds (33%) of high school students in San Juan County reported they had used marijuana at some time in their lives.

Among middle school students, 4.6% reported they had used marijuana before age 11, and 10.7% reported they had used marijuana at some time in their lives.

Marijuana Use Before Age 13

(High School)

Marijuana Use Before Age 11

(Middle School)

Marijuana Use - Middle School

In 2023, in San Juan County, 10.7% of middle school students reported having ever used marijuana, and 6.0% reported current (past 30 day) use. By comparison, among middle school students across New Mexico, 12.5% reported having ever used, and 7.3% reported past-30 day use of marijuana.
Lifetime (Ever used) marijuana
Marijuana Use Past 30-day Middle School

Trends, Marijuana Use - Middle School

From 2019, self-report of cannabis use among middle school students took a sharp downward turn, including both current and lifetime (ever) use. In 2019, 13.5% of middle school students reported current (past 30-day) use, which decreased to 6.0% in 2023, on the most recent YRRS. 

Youth Self-report: New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS), New Mexico Department of Health.

http://youthrisk.org.

Historical YRRS trend data (for 2013, 2015 and 2017) available at New Mexico's Indicator-Based Information System (NM-IBIS):
https://ibis.health.state.nm.us/query/selection/yrrs/_YRRSSelection.html 

National data, CDC Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), which New Mexico's YRRS is a part of: 
https://yrbs-explorer.services.cdc.gov

Updated/Checked: Sept-Oct 2026

"Current use" refers to report of use in the past 30-days.

The Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS) is administered across New Mexico with high school and middle school students in the Fall of odd-numbered years, by the NM Dept. of Health and NM Public Education Dept.