For the first time in American history, the number of people who use marijuana almost daily has surpassed the number who drink alcohol that frequently, according to new research from Carnegie Mellon University.
The report looked at data from more than 1.6 million participants across almost 30 surveys between 1979 and 2022. Researchers found that roughly 17.7 million Americans use cannabis almost every day, compared to 14.7 million daily drinkers.
Daily pot use was the lowest in the more than 40-year study period in 1992 when less than one million people said they used marijuana almost daily. Since then, regular cannabis use has seen a 15-fold increase.
Despite more people smoking pot, researchers found that alcohol remains more widely used.
Earlier this week, Emily’s Hope reported on new research finding adolescents who use cannabis are at higher risk of psychotic disorders.
