Americans are using more cannabis on a daily basis than they consume alcohol on a daily basis, according to a new study published in the journal Addiction. And the pot they are consuming is vastly more potent than what was available 30 years ago.
In 1992, only 8 million Americans reported using marijuana within the past month, in an overall population of 250 million, about 3.2%.
By 2022, the number using pot within the past month had ballooned to 42 million out of the population of 333.3 million Americans, for a total of 12.6% of the population using pot in the past month.
The study measured daily or near-daily use of marijuana between 2008 and 2022, since the first legalization in a state occurred in 2012 (Washington and Colorado). Between 2008 and 2022, daily or near-daily use of marijuana grew by 269%, as laws prohibiting use and sales of cannabis became more prevalent.
Even more striking is the surge in daily or near-daily use when compared to the daily use of alcohol. In the mid-1990s, only about one out of eight marijuana users said they consumed the pot daily or near-daily, comparable to the roughly one in 10 alcohol users.
Today, more than 40% of marijuana users report daily or near-daily consumption, higher than those who use alcohol on a daily or near-daily basis (17.7 million vs. 14.7 million).
The movement toward legalization has also led to an explosion in the potency of the cannabis consumed.
Until it became legal in some states to grow and sell cannabis, the average potency rarely exceeded 5% THC, the primary psychoactive component. Back in those days, pot was coming over the border from Mexico or was being grown on outlaw farms in the United States. Today’s cannabis buds sold commercially range between 20-25% THC. Extract-based oils and dabs exceed 60% THC. Much of it is grown in controlled greenhouse environments and is being quickly changed through hybrids.
Thus, more consumers are not only using pot on a daily basis, they’re getting a lot more bang. Today’s daily users consume more than 300 milligrams of THC per day, the study shows. That level of THC is linked with onset of psychosis.
The Biden Administration plans to reschedule marijuana from a Class I to a Class III drug, which puts it in the category of ketamine, testosterone, and anabolic steroids. As of February, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational or medical use.
