Daily cannabis use in the US has now outpaced that of alcohol for the first time, according to new national survey data.
While alcohol remains more widely used throughout the country, the percentage of cannabis users consuming it on a daily basis overtook those consuming alcohol daily in 2022 for the first time in over four decades.
According to the research, which was based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, cannabis use has seen a substantial increase since 2008, with past-year usage rising by 120% and the total days of use reported per capita jumping by 218%.
Notably, from 1992 to 2022, daily or near daily (DND) cannabis use increased 15-fold, from 0.9 million to 17.7 million users. This increase far outpaced alcohol consumption trends.
In 1992, DND alcohol users vastly outnumbered DND cannabis users (8.9 million vs. 0.9 million). By 2022, the number of DND cannabis users would surpass that of DND alcohol users (17.7 million vs. 14.7 million).
Cannabis use patterns have, according to the research, evolved to resemble cigarette consumption more closely than alcohol.
Additionally, marijuana is no longer predominantly a young person’s drug. In 2022, individuals aged 35 and older accounted for more days of use than those under 35.
Jonathan Caulkins, cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, said: “A good 40% of current cannabis users are using it daily or near daily, a pattern that is more associated with tobacco use than typical alcohol use.”
