US legal cannabis sales hit $29.9 billion in 2023, but the patterns behind that growth vary sharply from adult use trends to medical and recreational splits. By 2025, the US cannabis market is forecast to reach $41.2 billion, while the EU medical cannabis market sits at about €2.1 billion and 23.3 million people used cannabis across the EU in the past year. The result is a THC industry shaped by regulation, costs, and consumption in ways that do not always line up with the market headlines.
Key Takeaways
- US legal cannabis sales reached $29.9 billion in 2023 (implying growth in the THC products market)
- Global legal cannabis market size was estimated at $26.6 billion in 2023 and projected to grow (market research figure reported by Verified Market Research)
- Global legal cannabis market size is projected to reach $97.7 billion by 2029 (Fortune Business Insights forecast)
- US medical cannabis sales were $8.6 billion in 2023, representing a substantial share of total legal cannabis sales (industry tracking)
- Recreational cannabis sales in the US were $21.3 billion in 2023 (industry tracking)
- In the US, 4.0% of people aged 12+ reported using marijuana daily or near-daily in 2023 (NSDUH)
- The global cannabis-derived edibles market size was estimated at $7.0 billion in 2023 and projected to grow (market research figure)
- The global cannabis concentrates market was estimated at $3.2 billion in 2023 (market research figure)
- The global legal cannabis vape market size was estimated at $7.5 billion in 2023 (market research figure)
- Indoor cannabis cultivation costs are heavily driven by electricity and climate control; a peer-reviewed study quantified electricity as a major share of production costs
- A peer-reviewed life-cycle assessment found cultivation phase contributes the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions for indoor cannabis compared with downstream retail stages
- In the US, cannabis companies often face higher insurance and compliance costs due to federal illegality; one study quantified increased compliance expenditures as a barrier to entry for state-licensed cannabis businesses
US cannabis sales surged in 2023 as markets expand worldwide for THC products and related innovations.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
US legal cannabis sales reached $29.9 billion in 2023 (implying growth in the THC products market)
02
Global legal cannabis market size was estimated at $26.6 billion in 2023 and projected to grow (market research figure reported by Verified Market Research)
03
Global legal cannabis market size is projected to reach $97.7 billion by 2029 (Fortune Business Insights forecast)
04
The US cannabis market is expected to be $41.2 billion by 2025 (market forecast in a report by Grand View Research)
05
The EU medical cannabis market was estimated at €2.1 billion in 2023 (market research estimate)
06
The global hemp market (including hemp-derived products) was estimated at $4.3 billion in 2023 (market research figure)
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Across the THC industry’s market size outlook, legal cannabis is already at $29.9 billion in US sales in 2023 and is forecast to surge globally to $97.7 billion by 2029, showing strong and accelerating demand across both legal cannabis and broader THC-related product categories.
02 · Category
Consumption & Demand6 stats
01
US medical cannabis sales were $8.6 billion in 2023, representing a substantial share of total legal cannabis sales (industry tracking)
02
Recreational cannabis sales in the US were $21.3 billion in 2023 (industry tracking)
03
In the US, 4.0% of people aged 12+ reported using marijuana daily or near-daily in 2023 (NSDUH)
04
In the EU, 23.3 million people used cannabis in the past year (EMCDDA European Drug Report data)
05
The share of US adults reporting past-year marijuana use declined to 14.6% in 2022 from 16.4% in 2021 (NSDUH)
06
Among US high school students, 22.7% reported current marijuana use in 2023 (Monitoring the Future study summary)
Interpretation
Consumption & Demand Interpretation
Even as use appears stable or slightly easing in some groups, the US market demand remains large with 2023 sales totaling $29.9 billion across medical ($8.6 billion) and recreational ($21.3 billion) while daily or near-daily use among Americans aged 12+ stands at 4.0%, and past-year use among adults fell to 14.6% in 2022 from 16.4% in 2021.
More related reading
03 · Category
Product & Innovation5 stats
01
The global cannabis-derived edibles market size was estimated at $7.0 billion in 2023 and projected to grow (market research figure)
02
The global cannabis concentrates market was estimated at $3.2 billion in 2023 (market research figure)
03
The global legal cannabis vape market size was estimated at $7.5 billion in 2023 (market research figure)
04
Epidiolex (cannabidiol) is a THC-free CBD medicine that demonstrates regulatory pathways for cannabinoid pharmaceuticals; EMA listing confirms EU marketing authorization (useful benchmark for THC-derived drug innovation)
05
EU GMO/novel food regulations apply to THC-containing edibles under 'novel food' rules if not used historically; EFSA novel food guidance sets compliance requirements
Interpretation
Product & Innovation Interpretation
In 2023, product categories across the cannabis value chain were already large and fast-growing with edibles at $7.0 billion, legal vapes at $7.5 billion, and concentrates at $3.2 billion, while innovation is also being shaped by clear regulatory pathways and compliance requirements for THC-derived pharmaceuticals and novel-food style edibles.
04 · Category
Economics & Costs4 stats
01
Indoor cannabis cultivation costs are heavily driven by electricity and climate control; a peer-reviewed study quantified electricity as a major share of production costs
02
A peer-reviewed life-cycle assessment found cultivation phase contributes the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions for indoor cannabis compared with downstream retail stages
03
In the US, cannabis companies often face higher insurance and compliance costs due to federal illegality; one study quantified increased compliance expenditures as a barrier to entry for state-licensed cannabis businesses
04
In the EU, import tariffs/fees on hemp-derived THC-containing products vary by member state; EU customs tariff schedules provide concrete duty rates for cannabinoids/THC preparations (COMBINED NOMENCLATURE)
Interpretation
Economics & Costs Interpretation
For Economics & Costs, indoor cannabis production economics are tightly constrained by electricity and climate control since electricity is a major share of production costs, while the cultivation phase also dominates greenhouse gas impacts, and in the US and EU higher compliance and import duties linked to illegality and tariff schedules add further cost pressure on businesses.
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
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Thc Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/thc-industry-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Thc Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/thc-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Thc Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/thc-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
21 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)