Daily Marijuana Use Surpasses Daily Drinking in U.S., with 17.7 Million Users

May 22, 2024, 03:51 PM

A new study published in the journal Addiction finds that daily and near-daily marijuana use has surpassed similar levels of alcohol consumption in the United States. According to the analysis of national survey data over four decades, more than 40% of U.S. cannabis users are daily or near-daily users. In 2022, an estimated 17.7 million people reported using marijuana daily or near-daily, compared to 14.7 million daily or near-daily drinkers. This shift marks the first time that daily marijuana use has outpaced daily drinking in the U.S. The study also highlights a significant increase in marijuana potency, with the average user now consuming about 300 mg of THC per day, compared to 5 mg per day in the 1990s. A policy researcher noted that this pattern of daily use is more associated with tobacco use than typical alcohol use.