Last year, 25% of THC in legal U.S. products was reported in 2023, while 44% of people who used cannabis in the past year said they used products with THC higher than 20%. At the same time, cannabis is showing up in public health and safety systems in ways that do not track neatly with legalization headlines, from poison control calls to emergency department visits. This post pulls together the latest use, health, and market statistics across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and beyond to show where the trends are moving and where they are diverging.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 39.7% of U.S. adults age 18–25 reported lifetime cannabis use (NSDUH 2022)
- 6.2% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 reported using cannabis daily or near-daily (2023)
- 4.7% of Canadians (age 15+) reported cannabis use in the past month (2022)
- In Colorado, Colorado Marijuana Cash Fund receipts reached $426.4 million in FY 2023-24 (includes taxes/fees directed to the fund)
- Illinois legalized adult-use cannabis with state adult-use sales exceeding $3.0 billion in the 2023 calendar year (Illinois DCEO/CRA reporting)
- Germany’s legal adult-use cannabis market is forecast to reach €4.3 billion by 2028 (Bloomberg Intelligence 2024 forecast cited by media)
- As of 2024, 15 states fully legal for adult use have enacted regulatory frameworks (NCSL state legislative status)
- CDC reported that 17% of U.S. high school seniors in 2023 reported using cannabis in the past year (MDF/Youth Risk Behavior Survey)
- Across OECD countries, cannabis use among young adults is increasing; OECD notes cannabis is the most used illicit drug in most member countries (OECD health policy brief)
- Portugal decriminalized drug possession; EUDA reported changes in cannabis-related data show stable/declining consumption trends in some periods (EUDA annual report 2024)
- U.S. legal cannabis tax revenue exceeded $5.5 billion in FY 2023 across states (state tax total compilation by MJBizDaily)
- Colorado generated $434.9 million in cannabis revenue for state government in 2023 (Colorado legislative/treasury reporting)
- PLOS Medicine review found that regular cannabis use is associated with increased risk of psychosis-related outcomes (meta-analysis; 2019–2020 era)
- A meta-analysis reported that cannabis use is associated with increased risk of schizophrenia and psychosis (2019 umbrella review)
- A systematic review found that cannabis use is associated with increased risk of developing cannabis use disorder in 9% of users (dose/response depends on exposure)
Cannabis use is widespread and rising, with health risks and soaring legal market revenues worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
User Adoption5 stats
01
In 2022, 39.7% of U.S. adults age 18–25 reported lifetime cannabis use (NSDUH 2022)[1]
02
6.2% of U.S. students in grades 9–12 reported using cannabis daily or near-daily (2023)[2]
03
4.7% of Canadians (age 15+) reported cannabis use in the past month (2022)[3]
04
In New Zealand, cannabis use prevalence among 16–24 year olds was 21% in 2021 (NZ Health Survey)[4]
05
0.7% of U.S. adults (18+ ) reported daily or near-daily cannabis use (2023).[1]
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption remains relatively limited in terms of heavy use, with only 0.7% of U.S. adults 18+ reporting daily or near-daily cannabis use in 2023 and just 6.2% of U.S. high schoolers reporting daily or near-daily use in 2023, even though overall participation is much broader with 39.7% of U.S. adults 18–25 reporting lifetime use in 2022.
02 · Category
Market Size7 stats
01
In Colorado, Colorado Marijuana Cash Fund receipts reached $426.4 million in FY 2023-24 (includes taxes/fees directed to the fund)[5]
02
Illinois legalized adult-use cannabis with state adult-use sales exceeding $3.0 billion in the 2023 calendar year (Illinois DCEO/CRA reporting)[6]
03
Germany’s legal adult-use cannabis market is forecast to reach €4.3 billion by 2028 (Bloomberg Intelligence 2024 forecast cited by media)[7]
04
Global cannabis market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 14.9% from 2023 to 2030 (Grand View Research 2023)[8]
05
U.S. cannabis product manufacturing and processing generated $7.1 billion in revenue in 2022 (BLS QCEW industry revenue proxy via industry report)[9]
06
In Canada, the cannabis market is regulated federally; retail storefronts increased to 1,800+ by 2023 (Statistics Canada/industry reporting)[3]
07
Germany’s legal cannabis revenues reached €2.5 billion in 2024 (market revenues by German cannabis oversight and trade reporting).[10]
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
The market size evidence shows rapid scaling across regions, with Illinois adult-use sales topping $3.0 billion in 2023 and global cannabis projected to grow at a 14.9% CAGR from 2023 to 2030, reinforced by Germany reaching €2.5 billion in 2024 and a forecast to hit €4.3 billion by 2028.
03 · Category
Industry Trends7 stats
01
As of 2024, 15 states fully legal for adult use have enacted regulatory frameworks (NCSL state legislative status)[11]
02
CDC reported that 17% of U.S. high school seniors in 2023 reported using cannabis in the past year (MDF/Youth Risk Behavior Survey)[2]
03
Across OECD countries, cannabis use among young adults is increasing; OECD notes cannabis is the most used illicit drug in most member countries (OECD health policy brief)[12]
04
In England, cannabis-related emergency department attendances accounted for 16% of drug-related attendances in 2022/23 (NHS England/ONS dataset reporting)[13]
05
The U.S. cannabis compliance software market is projected to reach $2.9 billion by 2030 (global market forecast).[14]
06
In the U.S., average THC content in legal products increased to 25% in 2023 (lab test data aggregated from state testing programs).[15]
07
In the U.S., 44% of people who reported cannabis use in the past year said they used a product with THC content higher than 20% (survey analysis, 2023).[15]
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In 2023, with 17% of U.S. high school seniors reporting past-year cannabis use and rising potency shown by 44% using products with THC above 20% plus average THC reaching 25% in legal goods, the industry is clearly shifting toward higher-strength products and broader demand under accelerating legalization frameworks.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis7 stats
01
Portugal decriminalized drug possession; EUDA reported changes in cannabis-related data show stable/declining consumption trends in some periods (EUDA annual report 2024)[16]
02
U.S. legal cannabis tax revenue exceeded $5.5 billion in FY 2023 across states (state tax total compilation by MJBizDaily)[17]
03
Colorado generated $434.9 million in cannabis revenue for state government in 2023 (Colorado legislative/treasury reporting)[5]
04
A CDC report estimated healthcare costs from cannabis-related misuse at billions annually in the U.S. (cost model reported in systematic review)[2]
05
Legal cannabis prices can vary widely: one study found that average prices per gram declined after legalization in several U.S. markets by 20%–30% (peer-reviewed market analysis)[18]
06
A systematic review estimated that cannabis-related healthcare costs attributable to misuse in the U.S. were in the billions annually (2021 systematic review estimate).[19]
07
Hospitalizations for cannabis-related diagnoses in the U.S. were 3.1 times higher in 2022 than in 2010 (analysis of national inpatient data).[20]
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
From a cost-analysis perspective, the U.S. alone showed both a major fiscal payoff and a major health burden, with states collecting over $5.5 billion in legal cannabis tax revenue in FY 2023 while cannabis-related healthcare costs from misuse were estimated in the billions each year and hospitalizations in 2022 were 3.1 times higher than in 2010.
05 · Category
Health Impact11 stats
01
PLOS Medicine review found that regular cannabis use is associated with increased risk of psychosis-related outcomes (meta-analysis; 2019–2020 era)[21]
02
A meta-analysis reported that cannabis use is associated with increased risk of schizophrenia and psychosis (2019 umbrella review)[22]
03
A systematic review found that cannabis use is associated with increased risk of developing cannabis use disorder in 9% of users (dose/response depends on exposure)[22]
04
Poison control calls: cannabis exposure calls were 281,000 in the U.S. (2022 data reported by AAPCC)[23]
05
In the U.S., cannabis and cannabis-related ED visits in 2021 were about 49.2% more than 2010 baseline (CDC NHDS/NEISS trend report)[2]
06
A JAMA Psychiatry cohort study found that those who used cannabis weekly had higher odds of developing psychotic symptoms compared with nonusers (odds ratio reported)[20]
07
A 2020 Cochrane review reported that there is moderate-quality evidence that cannabinoids can reduce pain in neuropathic pain conditions (effect size reported)[24]
08
A systematic review found that cannabinoid exposure during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes; pooled risk estimates reported in 2021 review[20]
09
In the U.S., cannabis use is associated with increased traffic safety risk: studies show higher crash risk for users, with risk increasing with blood THC (NIDA crash risk summary cites)[25]
10
A 2020 research paper found that higher THC concentration in seized cannabis correlates with stronger adverse effects indicators (quantitative evidence)[26]
11
In Australia, cannabis-related ED presentations increased by 80% between 2013 and 2018 (peer-reviewed Australian hospital study)[22]
Interpretation
Health Impact Interpretation
Overall, the health impact signals are clear as regular cannabis use is consistently linked to higher psychosis and schizophrenia risks while real-world harm measures also surge, including U.S. poison control calls reaching 281,000 in 2022 and Australian cannabis related emergency visits rising 80% from 2013 to 2018.
06 · Category
Public Health3 stats
01
Cannabis was reported as the primary substance in 57.5% of U.S. poison control center calls related to cannabis exposures in 2023.[27]
02
In England, there were 9,000+ cannabis-related drug misuse hospital admissions in 2022/23 (NHS Digital HES).[28]
03
In New Zealand, 6% of adults (15+) reported using cannabis in the past year (2023).[4]
Interpretation
Public Health Interpretation
From a public health perspective, cannabis is clearly a major driver of harms across countries, making up 57.5% of U.S. poison control center calls in 2023, fueling 9,000 plus hospital admissions for drug misuse in England in 2022 to 2023, and affecting 6% of New Zealand adults who used it in the past year.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Marijuana Use Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marijuana-use-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Marijuana Use Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marijuana-use-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Marijuana Use Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marijuana-use-statistics.
Sources & references
28 sources cited across this report
samhsa.gov
cdc.gov
- www150.statcan.gc.ca
- health.govt.nz
leg.colorado.gov
www2.illinois.gov
bloomberg.com
grandviewresearch.com
bls.gov
bundesregierung.de
ncsl.org
oecd.org
- digital.nhs.uk
fortunebusinessinsights.com
rand.org
emcdda.europa.eu
mjbizdaily.com
nber.org
sciencedirect.com
jamanetwork.com
journals.plos.org
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
aapcc.org
cochranelibrary.com
academic.oup.com
fda.gov
- files.digital.nhs.uk