May 28th 2024.
A recent study has revealed that marijuana use has become more popular than alcohol consumption in the United States. According to data released on May 21 by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the amount of people using cannabis heavily has now surpassed the number of alcohol users for the first time since 2022. Jonathan Caulkins, a researcher on cannabis policies from Carnegie Mellon University and the author of the study, states that while alcohol is still widely used, it is not at the same level as it once was. Caulkins explains, "About 40% of current cannabis users are using the drug on a daily or near-daily basis, which is a pattern more similar to tobacco use than typical alcohol consumption."
The data shows that in 2022, there were approximately 17.7 million people using marijuana every day or almost every day, compared to over 14 million alcohol drinkers. This rate of frequent marijuana use has increased 15 times since 1992. Experts believe that changes in policy at the state level have played a significant role in this shift. With 24 states legalizing recreational marijuana, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reclassifying the drug to be less harmful, the landscape is changing. In fact, Florida will vote on a constitutional amendment in November 2024 to potentially legalize recreational cannabis. However, some experts warn that this data may also highlight the addictive nature of the drug.
Dr. David A. Gorelick, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, states that the increasing number of daily marijuana users suggests a rise in problematic use. He also notes that high-frequency use can lead to cannabis-associated psychosis, a severe condition where a person loses touch with reality. Addiction psychiatrist Colin Reiff adds that heavy cannabis use has been linked to schizophrenia in young people, especially young men whose brains are still developing. He suggests that the legal age for cannabis should be around 33 years old, or at least after 26 when the prefrontal cortex is fully developed.
Interestingly, the University of Mississippi's potency monitoring project has found that the average level of THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana, has increased from 4% in 1995 to over 15% in 2021. Despite this, the data shows that the younger demographic, aged 18 to 24, still prefers marijuana over alcohol, with 69% stating their preference for the drug. Matthew Everett, a smoker and member of the cannabis-friendly coworking space Work 'N' Roll, explains his transition from alcohol to cannabis, saying, "I switched to cannabis because there are endless possibilities with the flavors, and I don't wake up with a hangover the next day." Work 'N' Roll, located in NYC, allows members to freely smoke and work for as little as $15 a day, while also banning alcohol on the premises and allowing members to bring their own cannabis or have it delivered. Other members, Golda Moldavsky and Ellis Sudak, also in their twenties, share that they do not miss alcohol at all. Sudak states, "I don't miss it."
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