Daily marijuana use overtakes cigarettes and alcohol in United States

Federal survey data show that 21.4 million Americans now use marijuana on 300 or more days a year, making it the most common daily drug, ahead of cigarettes and alcohol.

According to the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health released by SAMHSA, 21.4 million Americans reported using marijuana on at least 300 days in the past year, overtaking daily cigarette smokers (19.9 million) and daily alcohol consumers (17.2 million). This represents a 21 percent increase from 2022, with the sharpest rise occurring between 2021 and 2022. The growth is concentrated among adults, particularly those 26 and older, while teenage use remained relatively flat.

Although cannabis now leads daily use, alcohol still has the highest overall prevalence, with 129 million people drinking in the prior month, and tobacco use fell to 15.9 percent of the population. A separate Modern Health survey of 1,000 full-time workers in April 2026 found that 63 percent self-medicate after work, and 52 percent during work hours, with Gen Z reporting higher THC use than alcohol. Medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel warned that rising THC consumption may increase anxiety and impair driving safety.