A new study finds that more older Americans use cannabis daily than consume alcohol

After an extended day at work, it seems that more and more Americans are forgoing comfortable hour in favor of a more “elevated” experience: marijuana. For the primary time in history, more Americans use cannabis daily than consume alcohol, in keeping with a new study.

The study was published May 22 within the journal Addictionfound that roughly 17.7 million people reported daily or almost daily cannabis use, compared with 14.7 million individuals who reported drinking alcohol at the identical rate.

“Over the past 30 years, the number of people who reported using the drug in the past month has increased fivefold, from 8 million to 42 million,” study writer Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University professor Keith Humphreys wrote in Washington Monthly in regards to the report.

“In the mid-1990s, only about one in six or one in eight users used the drug every day or almost every day, as did about one in ten users of alcohol,” they continued. “Currently, more than 40 percent of marijuana users use it daily or almost daily.”

Scientists collected and analyzed data from the National Survey on Drugs and Health for the years 1979–2022. This was the primary yr in history that the survey found a better percentage of individuals using cannabis than alcohol. According to the study, survey participants reported drinking 4 to 5 days a month, in comparison with using cannabis 15 to 16 days a month.

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Caulkins and Humphreys attribute the rise in cannabis use to recent changes in policy regarding the substance across the country. They note that the rise in marijuana use is value noting, especially as President Joe Biden plans to reschedule marijuana from a Class I drug to a Class III drug.

Surprisingly, changes occurred not only in frequency, but additionally in demographic structure. Scientists also found that the most important age group using the substance are adults aged 35-49 and older. They also observed that adults aged 26–34 were more prone to use drugs than those aged 25–18. They also noted that amongst young people aged 12 to 17, the number remained low and stable.

Another noticeable change through the years has been the rise within the potency of gear available on the market. Brands are always developing products with THC levels reaching into the mid-30s.

Not all users of this substance smoke it; many individuals consume “extract-based products,” which include edibles, tinctures, and vaporizers. Talking to Washington Post OfficeCaulkins said: “The legalization of cannabis has increased product diversity.”

While increasing legalization, product expansion and changing views in regards to the substance have largely contributed to the rise in its consumption, researchers also say the new trend might not be “entirely benign.”

“Cannabis is not fentanyl, but neither is lettuce,” the researchers wrote. “The significantly increased use of this drug is not all benign, and we may regret it if we do not recognize and respond to these trends.”