15 Cannabis Use Statistics: Who Uses Marijuana, How, and How Often

Cannabis is now one of the most widely used substances in the United States, and the federal government's own survey data shows exactly how widely. The 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), released in July 2026, counted 61.6 million people aged 12 or older who used marijuana in the past year. The statistics below cover how many people use cannabis, which age groups use it most, how they consume it, and how often. If you are newer to the plant, our guide to what THC is explains the compound behind most of these numbers.

1. 61.6 million people used marijuana in the past year

The 2025 NSDUH found that 21.2% of people aged 12 or older, about 61.6 million people, used marijuana in the past year. That is up from 19.0% (53.2 million) in 2021, the first year of the current survey trend.

2. 43.8 million people used it in the past month

Past-month use, a common measure of current use, reached 15.1% of people aged 12 or older, or 43.8 million, in 2025. The rate was 13.2% in 2021, so regular use has grown alongside occasional use.

3. About 6,600 people try marijuana for the first time each day

SAMHSA counted 2.4 million new marijuana initiates in 2025, which works out to roughly 6,600 first-time users per day. Only alcohol and nicotine vaping had more new users.

4. Marijuana accounts for most past-year illicit drug use

Of the 69.8 million people who reported any illicit drug use in the past year, 61.6 million used marijuana. Cannabis is still classified as illicit under federal survey definitions even where states have legalized it.

5. Young adults have the highest rate of use

In 2025, 33.7% of young adults aged 18 to 25, or 12.2 million people, used marijuana in the past year. That is the highest rate of any age group, though it has declined from 36.3% in 2021.

6. Adults 26 and older are driving the increase

Past-year use among adults aged 26 or older climbed from 17.3% in 2021 to 20.6% in 2025, reaching 47.2 million people. Over the same period, use among adolescents aged 12 to 17 fell from 10.9% to 8.7%. Our teen cannabis use statistics break the youth numbers down further.

7. 14% of U.S. adults say they smoke marijuana

Gallup's July 2025 Consumption Habits poll found that 14% of adults say they smoke marijuana, up from 7% when Gallup first asked in 2013. Combined 2023–2024 data put the figure at 15%.

8. Nearly half of adults have tried marijuana

Combined Gallup data from 2023 and 2024 shows 47% of U.S. adults have tried marijuana at least once. In 1969, when Gallup first asked, the figure was 4%.

9. Smoking is still the most common way to use cannabis

Among people who used marijuana in the past year, 74.8% smoked it, or 46.1 million people. Smoking was the most common method for every adult age group.

10. Nearly half of users eat or drink cannabis

49.2% of past-year users, about 30.3 million people, ate or drank marijuana. Among adults 26 and older, eating or drinking (50.5%) was more common than vaping (32.9%). Our edibles statistics cover this format in detail.

11. About 2 in 5 users vape

39.2% of past-year users vaped marijuana, and 37.1% of past-month users vaped it in the past month. Vaping is far more common among younger users. See our comparison of vaping vs. smoking.

12. 8.9 million people dab concentrates

14.5% of past-year users dabbed waxes, shatter, or other concentrates, about 8.9 million people. Concentrates are much stronger than flower, which our THC potency statistics put in context.

13. Daily cannabis users now outnumber daily drinkers

A Carnegie Mellon analysis of four decades of federal survey data found that in 2022, 17.7 million people reported daily or near-daily cannabis use, compared with 14.7 million daily or near-daily drinkers. In 1992, daily drinkers outnumbered daily cannabis users 10 to 1 (8.9 million vs. 0.9 million).

14. 42% of current cannabis users use it daily or near-daily

In 2022, 42.3% of past-month cannabis users reported daily or near-daily use, compared with 10.9% of past-month drinkers. The median cannabis user reported use on 15–16 days a month, against 4–5 days for the median drinker.

15. 19.3 million people had a marijuana use disorder

NSDUH estimated that 6.7% of people aged 12 or older, or 19.3 million, had a past-year marijuana use disorder in 2025, up from 6.0% in 2021. Most cases (53.4%) were mild, and about 1 in 6 (18.0%) were severe. Frequent use is the pattern most associated with this risk, which is one reason tolerance breaks come up so often.

The federal data shows cannabis use that is broad, adult-led, and increasingly frequent. Use among teens and young adults is flat or falling, while adults over 26 account for nearly all of the growth. For anyone who uses cannabis, a few habits follow from that picture:

• Know your product's strength. Today's flower and concentrates are far more potent than in past decades, so start low, especially with edibles.
• Watch frequency, not just amount. Daily use is now common, and it is the pattern most closely tied to dependence.
• Buy tested products. A current certificate of analysis confirms potency and contaminant screening.
• Know your state's rules. Possession and purchase limits vary, so check the cannabis laws where you live.

How many Americans use cannabis?

The 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimated that 61.6 million people aged 12 or older, or 21.2%, used marijuana in the past year, and 43.8 million (15.1%) used it in the past month. Gallup's 2025 poll found 14% of adults say they smoke marijuana.

Which age group uses cannabis the most?

Young adults aged 18 to 25 have the highest rate, at 33.7% past-year use in 2025. Adults 26 and older are the fastest-growing group, rising from 17.3% in 2021 to 20.6% in 2025.

What is the most common way people use cannabis?

Smoking. Among past-year users in 2025, 74.8% smoked marijuana, 49.2% ate or drank it, 39.2% vaped it, and 14.5% dabbed concentrates. Many people use more than one method.

Is daily cannabis use more common than daily drinking?

Yes, by one measure. A study in the journal Addiction found that in 2022, 17.7 million Americans used cannabis daily or near-daily, compared with 14.7 million who drank alcohol that often. Far more people drink overall, but cannabis users tend to use more frequently.