USA: Cannabis use among adults reaches all-time high. Half of Americans have tried it

The recent findings of a survey published by the Gallup reveal an unprecedented statistic: half of the American adult population has tried cannabis at some point in their lives. This number marks the highest point ever recorded, signifying a notable increase in the percentage of American adults who have ever tried cannabis. This percentage has risen from a mere 4% when the initial poll was conducted by Gallup more than five decades ago.

According to the results of Gallup's annual survey on consumption habits, carried out last month, 50% of respondents indicated that they had consumed cannabis at some point in their lives. Although this year's result appears similar to the 49% and 48% figures from 2021 and 2022, respectively, the slight increase is statistically significant when compared to the 45% recorded in 2017 and 2019.

A historic increase

This remarkable rise perpetuates a trend that can be traced back to 1969, when Gallup began surveying cannabis use among Americans. At that time, only 4% acknowledged having tried the substance. The following decade saw an exponential increase, with the percentage quickly reaching almost a quarter (24%) of the US population in 1977. In 1985, this number rose to 33%. Although the rate of increase slowed down over the next thirty years, in 2013, 38% of Americans admitted to trying cannabis. Just two years later, this figure rose to 44%, marking the beginning of a new period of rapid expansion, which persists to this day.

Consumption demographic data

Looking at demographic data, it is clear that a higher percentage of men (53%) than women (44%) have tried cannabis. In terms of age groups, adults aged 35-54 have the highest incidence of past cannabis use, with an impressive 51% confirming their experience with the substance. In the 18-34 age group, 49% confessed to the same, while 47% of adults aged 55 and over revealed similar encounters. Politically, Democrats had the highest rate of cannabis use, with 57% admitting to having tried the substance. In contrast, 52% of independent voters and 39% of Republicans acknowledged any involvement with cannabis.

The legalization of cannabis and its influence

Gallup observed a correlation between the growing percentage of Americans who recognize their use of cannabis and growing support for the legalization of cannabis. In 1969, only a paltry 12% supported the idea of ​​legalizing cannabis. Fast forward to 2023, and an overwhelming two-thirds (68%) of the population surveyed expressed their support for legalization. Notably, 23 states have already legalized cannabis for recreational purposes, while 38 states have enacted comprehensive legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

Current cannabis use

Since 2013, Gallup has incorporated a separate survey of current cannabis use. The results of this year's survey revealed that 17% of respondents answered affirmatively to the question of whether they "smoke cannabis". This figure is the highest percentage ever recorded, more than doubling the initial 7% a decade ago. The prevalence of current use is particularly pronounced among young people, a trend previously identified by Gallup. Specifically, 29% of adults aged between 18 and 34 reported current cannabis use. This percentage drops to 17% among adults aged between 35 and 54 and to 9% among those aged 55 and over.

Political and gender disparities in current consumption

In terms of gender distribution, 19% of men and 14% of women admitted current cannabis use. Politically, 21% of Democrats confessed to smoking cannabis, followed by 17% of Independents and 12% of Republicans. Interestingly, while about half of the licensed and non-licensed (49% each) acknowledged having tried cannabis, 20% of the non-licensed reported using cannabis regularly. In contrast, only 11% of individuals with a college degree identified themselves as frequent users.

Survey methodology

To gather this informative data, Gallup conducted a random survey of 1015 adults ages 18 and older between July 3 and July 27. The margin of sampling error for this survey is ±4 percentage points, with a 95% confidence level. Additionally, Gallup recognized the potential for errors or bias in poll results due to question wording and practical challenges in conducting the survey.