A recent study unveiled a significant shift in American substance use consumption patterns, indicating that marijuana has outpaced alcohol in daily usage for the first time in history. According to findings published in the scientific journal Addiction, daily or near-daily marijuana use grew by 269% from 2008 to 2022. The analysis conducted by Dr. Jonathan Caulkins at Carnegie Mellon University utilized data spanning over four decades from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.
While alcohol remains more widely consumed overall, the study revealed that "high-frequency" alcohol consumption is less prevalent. Despite this shift, regular marijuana use still lags behind daily cigarette consumption, with over 24.1 million individuals reporting daily or near-daily smoking habits compared to the 17.7 million marijuana users. The study also highlighted a trend of increased cannabis usage among older Americans compared to younger generations.
Researchers observed a correlation between cannabis use and changes in cannabis policies. Authors note that the trend coincides with the legalization of recreational marijuana in 24 states and the District of Columbia, along with medical use allowances in an additional 14 states.
To review the study's findings, the journal article can be accessed here.