Marijuana Use is on the Rise in America
The Chart
The chart above shows changes in marijuana consumption habits for people in the U.S. from 2000 to 2022. This is the latest data on the topic from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). For context, NSDUH data for alcohol and tobacco use is also included.
3 Things to Know
- The number of people who have used marijuana in the past year has surpassed the number of people who have used tobacco
- Per the Economist: "the number of daily tokers surpassed the number of daily drinkers in 2018"
- Although rates of marijuana use are rising, they're still far behind alcohol use. About two-thirds of U.S. adults have had a drink in the past year, compared to one-fifth who have used marijuana
Dataset
| 2000 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|
| Used marijuana in the past year | 7.50% | 22.50% |
| Use marijuana daily | <1% | 5% |
Data sources
Prior to 2020, NSDUH conducted face-to-face household interviews. Starting in 2020, NSDUH conducted both face-to-face household interviews and web-based interviews. NSDUH is representative of persons aged 12 and older in the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States and in each state and the District of Columbia. The survey covers residents of households (including those living in houses, townhouses, apartments, and condominiums), persons in noninstitutional group quarters (including those in shelters, boarding houses, college dormitories, migratory work camps, and halfway houses), and civilians living on military bases. Persons excluded from the survey include individuals experiencing homelessness who do not use shelters, active military personnel, and residents of institutional group quarters such as jails, nursing homes, mental institutions, and long-term care hospitals.
