How many Americans smoke weed in 2022?

Are you wondering how many Americans smoke weed?

The cannabis market is huge and as more states legalize medicinal and recreational cannabis, it’s only getting bigger. In this article, you’ll find out just how many Americans use cannabis, how many people smoke weed in the world, and how many Americans choose to smoke weed versus consume cannabis using another method.

How many people smoke weed in the world

According to the 2022 World Drug Report released by the United Nations (U.N.) Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 209 million people worldwide ages 15 - 64 use cannabis.

When looking at the percent of the population ages 15 - 64 that has smoked weed at least once in the last year, the country with the most weed smokers is Chile.

The countries that smoke the most weed around the world based on the country's population of people ages 15 - 64 are as follows:

1. Chile, 34.8%
2. Canada, 32.7%
3. Papua New Guinea, 29.5%
4. Israel, 27.0%
5. Palau, 24.2%
6. Northern Mariana Islands, 22.2%
7. Ghana, 21.5%
8. Guam, 18.4%
9. Iceland, 18.3%
10. United States, 16.2%

As cannabis legalization continues globally, the legal cannabis market is growing at a rate of 25.5% annually and is expected to be valued at $102.2 billion by 2025.

How many Americans smoke weed

It's no secret that cannabis is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. What may come as a surprise, however, is just how many Americans smoke weed.

At the time of writing this article, medical cannabis is legal in 37 states and Washington, D.C. and recreational cannabis is legal in 18 states as well as Washington, D.C.

According to a Gallup Poll, 12% of American adults say they smoke weed. Based on the 2020 U.S. Census of 258.3 million adults in the United States, this equates to approximately 30 million American weed smokers.

So, if you're wondering "how many Americans smoke weed," the answer is that it's tens of millions of people and the number is growing every year.

How many Americans use cannabis

According to a report by MJBiz the sales of cannabis in the United States in 2022 will reach $33 Billion with:

• Medical cannabis sales reaching $11.9 Billion
• Recreational cannabis sales reaching $21.2 Billion

A report by research group Statista estimates that by 2025 the United States will have nearly 50 million medical and recreational cannabis consumers.

According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, there are currently 55 million Americans who have consumed cannabis (using any consumption method) within the last year and 78 million who have consumed cannabis at some point in their lifetime.

The Americans consuming cannabis are not the “stoner” often depicted in pop culture. A Harris Survey of 2,000 cannabis-consuming Americans found that 91% of cannabis consumers over the age of 21 consumed cannabis for health and wellness reasons. The largest growing population of cannabis consumers are actually individuals that are health conscious and want alternatives to traditional pharmaceuticals. 

The Harris Survey found that:

• 75% of respondents opted for holistic health solutions over pharmaceuticals
• 62% of respondents preferred cannabis to pharmaceutical drugs for medical purposes
• 52% of respondents used cannabis to relax
• 49% of respondents used cannabis to aid with sleep
• 44% of respondents used cannabis to reduce stress
• 41% of respondents used cannabis to reduce anxiety

As the legal cannabis market grows and education becomes more accessible people are learning about the various ways cannabis can be consumed and its benefits resulting in more Americans trying cannabis for themselves.

Key takeaways on how many Americans smoke weed

• There are 209 million people worldwide ages 15 - 64 who use cannabis.
• In the United States, an estimated 30 million Americans smoke weed and 55 million Americans have consumed cannabis in any consumption format within the last year.
• Legal cannabis sales in the United States will generate $33 billion in the year 2022.
• 91% of cannabis consumers over the age of 21 consume cannabis for health and wellness reasons.

Do you have a question about how many Americans smoke weed that we didn't cover? If so, let us know in the comments and we'll be sure to get you an answer!

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