Marijuana users surpass alcohol drinkers in the US

According to new research, by 2022, an estimated 17.7 million people will admit to using cannabis daily or almost daily, compared to the 14.7 million people who report drinking alcohol daily or almost daily.

Back 40 years ago, in 1992, when daily marijuana use was not yet common, fewer than 1 million people said they used marijuana almost every day.

Alcohol is still more widely used, but 2022 is the first time cannabis use has reached this high and surpassed regular alcohol use, said study author Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University.

“Forty percent of current cannabis users use it daily or almost daily, a trend that is associated with greater use of the drug by smoking than by ingestion,” said researcher Caulkins.

The study was based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, published May 22 in the journal Addiction. The survey collects information from Americans’ self-reported use of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs.

Between 1992 and 2022, the proportion of survey respondents who reported using cannabis daily or almost daily increased 15-fold. People are more willing to report cannabis use as public acceptance increases, which could be fueling the upward trend, Caulkins said.

Most states in the US now allow medical or recreational use of marijuana, although it remains illegal at the federal level.

Research shows that people who use marijuana more frequently are more likely to become addicted to it, said Dr. David A. Gorelick, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

"High-frequency cannabis use also increases the risk of developing cannabis-related psychosis," a serious condition that causes users to become distracted and unable to concentrate in daily activities, he said.

Ngoc Anh (according to AP)