Blazing a New Trail: Tracking the Rise of Regular Cannabis Consumption
- In recent years, the United States has experienced a significant rise in the number of marijuana dispensaries, reflecting broader shifts in public policy and consumer behavior. As of today, cannabis is legal for medical use in 40 states, and for recreational use in 24 states, three U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. During the 2024 elections, four states included measures to expand legalization on their ballots, and this trend is expected to persist in upcoming election cycles.
- Occam monitors regular marijuana consumption across a wide range of demographic factors, including income, geographic location, gender, race, and age. Although regular use remains most prevalent among adults under the age of 45, consumption has demonstrated steady growth across all age cohorts in recent years.
- Currently, 42% of Generation Z and 41% of Millennials report regular cannabis use. Among Generation X, regular usage has risen by nearly 40% since early 2022. While Baby Boomers report the lowest rate of regular consumption at 13%, this still marks a meaningful rise from just 9% a little over three years ago. Additionally, 65% of all respondents described their marijuana use as primarily “recreational” (data available upon request).
- As cannabis consumption continues to expand, Occam will continue to longitudinally track evolving usage patterns across all key demographic groups. Subscribe today for the most recent data to stay ahead of the curve.
