Summer health risks vary by age, place, and vulnerability. WHO estimates heat stress contributes 166,000 deaths worldwide each year, and ambient PM2.5 is linked to millions of premature deaths. The page also covers how extreme weather—like hurricanes, tornadoes, and other billion-dollar disasters—can strain housing, transport, and emergency services, plus how cannabis use intersects with summer concerns.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 25.7% of U.S. adults aged 18–25 reported using marijuana in the past year
- In 2023, 9.1% of U.S. high school students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days
- 23% of people who use cannabis in the past 12 months reported driving under the influence of drugs according to a survey published in 2023
- 4.2% of U.S. adolescents (age 12–17) reported using marijuana in the past month as of 2023
- Air pollution (PM2.5) is linked to summer excess mortality: WHO estimates that 4.2 million premature deaths occur globally due to ambient PM2.5 each year
- 22.6 deaths per 100,000 population occurred from heat-related causes in the U.S. in 2021 (age-adjusted)
- The U.S. had 28 weather disasters in 2023 with losses exceeding $1 billion each
- 2023 had 12 tornadoes in the U.S. in June according to NOAA Storm Events Database (June total)
- As of 2023, 38 U.S. states allow medical marijuana
- The EU’s novel food framework permits cultivation and placing on the market only after authorization for THC-containing products not previously used; the THC threshold is addressed under the Novel Food Regulation guidance for CBD/THC
- Canada legalized recreational cannabis under the Cannabis Act which received Royal Assent on June 21, 2018
- The U.S. cannabis industry has roughly 2,000 licensed retailers as of 2024 (retail counts compiled by Cannabis Business Times licensing database)
- In the U.S., tax revenue from cannabis exceeded $3.5 billion in 2023 across states (state tax totals compiled by the National Cannabis Industry Association summary)
- $3.36 billion in U.S. legal cannabis sales occurred in Q4 2023 (quarterly sales estimate)
- In the U.S., cannabis legalization is associated with a reduction in opioid overdose deaths; a 2020 peer-reviewed study reports an average reduction of 6.6% in opioid-related deaths after medical marijuana laws
Summer brings rising heat and pollution risks alongside ongoing cannabis policy and safety debates.
Related reading
01 · Category
Weather & Climate6 stats
01
22.6 deaths per 100,000 population occurred from heat-related causes in the U.S. in 2021 (age-adjusted)
02
The U.S. had 28 weather disasters in 2023 with losses exceeding $1 billion each
03
2023 had 12 tornadoes in the U.S. in June according to NOAA Storm Events Database (June total)
04
NOAA records show that the average U.S. hurricane season from 1991–2020 has 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes
05
The global ocean surface temperature reached a record high in June 2023 (monthly mean anomaly relative to 1982–2011 baseline)
06
Greenhouse gas (CO2) concentrations averaged 417.1 ppm in 2020 at Mauna Loa Observatory (long-term trend reference for warming that drives hotter summers)
Interpretation
Weather & Climate Interpretation
Weather and climate impacts are intensifying, with the U.S. seeing 28 billion-dollar disasters in 2023 while heat-related deaths hit 22.6 per 100,000 in 2021 and global oceans set a record June 2023 surface temperature.
02 · Category
Regulation & Legal5 stats
01
As of 2023, 38 U.S. states allow medical marijuana
02
The EU’s novel food framework permits cultivation and placing on the market only after authorization for THC-containing products not previously used; the THC threshold is addressed under the Novel Food Regulation guidance for CBD/THC
03
Canada legalized recreational cannabis under the Cannabis Act which received Royal Assent on June 21, 2018
04
Germany’s Cannabis Act (CanG) was approved by the Bundestag on February 23, 2024
05
In 2023, the U.S. issued 3,500 licenses for cannabis-related research (NIH/NSF funded research administrative measure)
Interpretation
Regulation & Legal Interpretation
Across Regulation & Legal, cannabis policy is rapidly expanding and institutionalizing, with 38 U.S. states allowing medical marijuana as of 2023, Canada and Germany moving through major legalization and legislative approval milestones, and the U.S. issuing 3,500 licenses for cannabis-related research in 2023.
03 · Category
Public Health4 stats
01
23% of people who use cannabis in the past 12 months reported driving under the influence of drugs according to a survey published in 2023
02
4.2% of U.S. adolescents (age 12–17) reported using marijuana in the past month as of 2023
03
Air pollution (PM2.5) is linked to summer excess mortality: WHO estimates that 4.2 million premature deaths occur globally due to ambient PM2.5 each year
04
Heat stress is responsible for 166,000 deaths globally each year according to WHO
Interpretation
Public Health Interpretation
From a public health perspective, summer-related risks are substantial, with WHO estimating 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide from air pollution and 166,000 deaths each year from heat stress, while 4.2% of U.S. adolescents reported recent marijuana use and 23% of past-year cannabis users reported drug-impaired driving.
More related reading
04 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
The U.S. cannabis industry has roughly 2,000 licensed retailers as of 2024 (retail counts compiled by Cannabis Business Times licensing database)
02
In the U.S., tax revenue from cannabis exceeded $3.5 billion in 2023 across states (state tax totals compiled by the National Cannabis Industry Association summary)
03
$3.36 billion in U.S. legal cannabis sales occurred in Q4 2023 (quarterly sales estimate)
04
$2.6 billion in U.S. cannabis tax revenue was estimated for 2024 (forecast)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With roughly 2,000 licensed U.S. retailers and cannabis sales of $3.36 billion in Q4 2023, market size momentum is clear, and the forecast of $2.6 billion in cannabis tax revenue for 2024 reinforces that this large and growing category continues to generate substantial economic impact.
05 · Category
Risk & Impacts4 stats
01
Extreme heat is responsible for an estimated 1,300 U.S. deaths per year on average (mortality burden) in a 2021 assessment
02
Globally, food demand is projected to increase by 35–56% by 2050 (baseline scenario range) according to FAO/World Bank estimates
03
Heat extremes are expected to increase in frequency and intensity across most regions under continued greenhouse-gas emissions (high confidence) per IPCC AR6
04
Marine heatwaves increased in frequency and duration globally since 1982 according to NOAA’s assessment (marine heatwaves analysis)
Interpretation
Risk & Impacts Interpretation
Under the Risk & Impacts lens, rising heat threats are already costing lives and are set to worsen, with extreme heat causing an estimated 1,300 U.S. deaths per year on average while marine heatwaves have increased in frequency and duration globally since 1982 and heat extremes are projected to intensify across most regions.
06 · Category
Industry Overview10 stats
01
In the U.S., cannabis legalization is associated with a reduction in opioid overdose deaths; a 2020 peer-reviewed study reports an average reduction of 6.6% in opioid-related deaths after medical marijuana laws
02
A 2023 meta-analysis reported that cannabis use disorder is associated with about a 3-fold higher odds of suicidal ideation/behavior
03
A 2020 study found that medical cannabis legalization reduced unemployment by about 1.2 percentage points in exposed counties
04
In 2022, 25.7% of U.S. adults aged 18–25 reported using marijuana in the past year
05
In 2023, 9.1% of U.S. high school students reported using marijuana in the past 30 days
06
California accounted for 37% of U.S. legal cannabis sales in 2023 (market share)
07
Arizona is projected to have $1.0 billion in annual legal cannabis sales by 2025 (forecast)
08
As of 2024, 24 states and Washington, DC reported legal adult-use cannabis markets in force (legislative tracking total)
09
U.S. Treasury collected $9.1 billion in federal excise taxes and related collections from legal cannabis in 2024 (cumulative federal collections estimate)
10
3.8% of U.S. adults aged 18+ had a serious mental illness in 2022
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an industry overview perspective, cannabis is both rapidly expanding and widely used, with California driving 37% of 2023 legal sales and marijuana use reported by 25.7% of U.S. adults aged 18 to 25 in the past year, while research also links legalization and cannabis use to major public health and labor outcomes such as a 1.2 percentage point unemployment reduction in exposed counties and cannabis use disorder being associated with about three times higher odds of suicidal ideation or behavior.
report visual · Comparison
Summer impacts: heat-related deaths vs. extreme heat mortality
Heat is associated with substantial mortality burden, including measurable rates in the U.S. and broader global estimates.
Heat stress is responsible for 166,000 deaths globally each year according to WHO166,000
22.6 deaths per 100,000 population occurred from heat-related causes in the U.S. in 2021 (age-adjusted)
100,000
Extreme heat is responsible for an estimated 1,300 U.S. deaths per year on average (mortality burden) in a 2021 assessme
1,300
4.2% of U.S. adolescents (age 12–17) reported using marijuana in the past month as of 2023
4.2%
source-verifiedcdc.gov · ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · who.int2023
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
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Summer Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/summer-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Summer Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/summer-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Summer Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/summer-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+12 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)