In 2024, nearly ** percent of the population of the United States used cannabis within the past year. The graph shows the percentage of the population in the U.S. who consumed cannabis in the past year from 2002 to 2024.

In 2024, approximately 64.1 million people used marijuana in the past year. This statistic shows the number of people in the U.S. who have used marijuana in the past year from 2009 to 2024.

Current marijuana use among U.S. adults in 2023 was highest in Vermont, where around 26.67 percent of adults reported using marijuana within the past year. In recent years, a number of U.S. states, including Colorado and California, have legalized the sale of marijuana for recreational use. In 2023, around 133 million people in the United States reported that they had used marijuana at least once in their lifetime. Consumer behavior Starting around 2013, the majority of U.S. adults now say they are in favor of legalizing marijuana in the United States. The share of adults who were in favor of legalization has continued to increase over the years. As of 2021, about 68 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 and older were in favor of legalization. Legal sales of marijuana reached 16.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, and are expected to increase to around 37 billion dollars by the year 2026. COVID-19 impact on marijuana use The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns led to fears of an increase in substance abuse in many parts of the world. In March 2020, around 40 percent of millennials who used cannabis in the past year reported that they planned to increase their marijuana use during the COVID-19 pandemic. This rise in usage was reflected in sales early in the pandemic. In California for example, sales of marijuana on March 16, 2020 increased 159 percent compared to the same day in 2019.

As of fall 2024, around ***percent of U.S. college students who had ever used cannabis had used it daily or almost daily in the past 3 months. This statistic presents the percentage of college students in the U.S. that had used marijuana during the past 3 months as of fall 2024, by frequency. Substance use among college students In 2024, alcohol was the most widely used substance among U.S. college students, followed by cannabis and tobacco products. At that time, around ** percent of college students reported they had drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime. Furthermore, nearly ********* of students reported using marijuana within the past thirty days. Unfortunately, substance use is often a maladaptive coping strategy used to deal with academic and social pressures, difficult emotions, and stress. Substance use and mental health Using substances can exacerbate existing mental health difficulties, as substance use and mental disorders often go-hand in hand. This is an issue of utmost importance due to the higher risk of suicide and self-harm behaviors among the college-aged population in the United States. Although over *********** of college students receiving mental health services also felt the need to reduce their drug and alcohol use in 2024, only *** percent reported actually receiving treatment for drug or alcohol use alongside their mental health treatment.

In 2024, over 44.2 million people in the United States used marijuana in the past month. This statistic shows the number of people in the U.S. who used marijuana in the past month from 2009 to 2024.

The most common usage frequency among cannabis consumers in the United States in 2020 was once every day or two. Once a week to once a month was the least common usage frequency.

There were **** million recreational cannabis users in the United States in 2020. By 2025, this number is set to almost double.

Total consumption of adult use cannabis in the United States reached *** thousand kilograms in 2020. Consumption volume is expected to increase to over ************* kilograms by 2025.

The largest group of rare or non-drinkers was found among respondents in the United States that consumed cannabis daily as of 2024. The next largest group was found among respondents that only used cannabis a few times a year.

This statistic shows the prevalence of cannabis use among Americans as of 2019, by generation. In 2019, ** percent of Gen Z respondents stated that they either occasionally or regularly used cannabis.

In 2021/2022, Vermont had the lowest percentage of adults in the U.S. who perceived great risk from monthly marijuana use, at 11.81 percent. In contrast, Florida had the highest percentage of adults who considered monthly marijuana use to be very risky, with about 27 percent of adults stating this belief. This statistic depicts the percentage of U.S. adults aged 18 and older that perceived "great risk" from smoking marijuana once per month as of 2021 and 2022, by state.

Eighteen to twenty-nine-year-olds were the largest group of current marijuana smokers in the United States in 2019. Roughly a quarter of the age group were current smokers, with usage dipping among older age groups. Seniors were the least likely, with only three percent stating that they were current smokers.

Support for legalization

Although cannabis is still federally illegal, it has been legalized for recreational consumption in 10 states since 2012. Nationwide support for the federal legalization of cannabis has grown every year, with 18 to 34-year-olds being the biggest supporters. Seventy-eight-percent of Americans in that age group supported marijuana legalization in 2018, nearly double the level of support in 2003. Approval of legalization is more than 50 percent among all age groups.

Approval for medical use

Support for the medical usage of cannabis is even higher, and unlike recreational usage, approval levels are very close among all age groups. The average degree of support among all age groups was seventy-four percent. In contrast to the young age of most recreational smokers, in Oregon, one of the first state to legalize recreational cannabis, the highest share of people registered as medical marijuana patients were 55 to 69 years old.

In 2021, the Caribbean was the sub-region with the highest prevalence of cannabis use in Latin America. That year, approximately **** percent of the population in the Caribbean had consumed cannabis at least once during 2021. South America followed, with around **** percent of its population between 15 and 64 years using cannabis at least one time within that year, while **** percent of the analyzed population in Central America had used cannabis in that period. It was estimated that the legal market of cannabis in Latin America could reach a value of nearly ** billion U.S. dollars by 2025.

In 2018, the rate of past-year cannabis use among consumers who were 12 years old and younger increased by *** percent since 2002 in the United States. That rate increased by *** percent among consumers who were 26 years and older in that same period.

A 2021 survey of American high school students found that around 27.8 percent of students had used marijuana at at least one instance in their lifetime. The prevalence of marijuana use was higher among female students.

The number of medical cannabis patients in the U.S. according to estimates mostly from year-end 2024 was highest in the State of Florida. Florida had around *** thousand medical cannabis patients at that time. In that same year, Oklahoma had the highest percentage of medical cannabis patients. Medical marijuana There may be many positive effects of medical cannabis, including to patient health and to the economy. However, medical cannabis market forecasts in the U.S. for the coming years have been revised down. From a medical point of view, the most commonly cited benefits of the drug were pain reduction and sleep. There are currently numerous research projects underway in the U.S. to determine the medical benefits and therapeutic uses of marijuana products, as well as the potential impact of marijuana legalization on the U.S. economy. Public opinionPublic opinion on the effects of marijuana and its ability to be used in patient care vary. However, it is clear that many U.S. adults support the legalization of marijuana in some form. A recent study indicated that the support for marijuana legalization has been increasing in recent history. Another study has shown that an overwhelming majority of participants felt that cannabis has valid medical uses. Despite current efforts at legalization and research underway, marijuana with over *** percent of THC – for any use – is considered illegal under federal U.S. law.

There are currently around *** million cannabis users worldwide. The highest number of cannabis users can be found in the Americas, followed by Asia and then Africa. The use of cannabis varies depending on the country and region as laws surrounding the sale and use of the drug differ greatly. Some countries and regions maintain harsh penalties for the sale and use of cannabis while others have decriminalized it and more recently even completely legalized it for recreational sale and use. Cannabis Cannabis is by far the most used illicit drug worldwide. Cannabis produces physical and mental effects that change a user’s perception, heighten mood and increase appetite, but can also cause anxiety and paranoia. There has been increased interest in cannabis as a medicine in recent years, with a number of countries legalizing it for this purpose. As a medicine it has been found to reduce nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy, reduce chronic pain, and improve appetite. Legal cannabis in North America Canada as well as a growing number of U.S. states have recently legalized the sale and use of recreational cannabis. Worldwide legal cannabis spending is predicted to reach over ** billion U.S. dollars by the year 2024, with the United States and Canada accounting for the vast majority of this market. The state of Washington alone reported sales of *** billion U.S. dollars in 2022.

According to a survey conducted in 2020, around ** percent of Millennials in the United States reported consuming marijuana for recreational purposes, versus only ** percent of Baby Boomers.

In 2019, about 8.5 percent of Asian high school students in the United States stated that they smoked marijuana at least once in the past month. This is compared to 33.8 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native students who said the same.

The District of Columbia holds the record for the highest price per ounce of high quality marijuana in the United States, as of January 2025, with an average price of some 590 U.S. dollars per ounce. Recreational cannabis use Recreational cannabis is not legal in all U.S. states; however, many consumers use the drug illicitly. A recent survey indicated that over half of U.S. adults think that cannabis should be legalized and taxed like alcohol and tobacco. Recreational cannabis is often used by consumers for relaxation, stress relief, and creativity, to name a few. Surveys have shown that a majority of recreation users use marijuana for relaxation. Legal marijuana market potential It is projected that by 2025 the sales of legal cannabis in the U.S. will generate approximately 25 billion dollars in revenue. The regulation of marijuana includes the taxation of all sales. There is potential for the U.S. cannabis market to generate significant taxes and boost the economy. It is estimated that the taxes from legal marijuana sales would exceed the taxes earned from U.S. sales taxes by a significant amount.