52,500,000 Americans Admitted To Using Cannabis In 2021, So What’s The Real Number?

Cannabis has gone from being one of the most banned drugs to one of the most accepted in just a few short years. It’s easy to see given the increasing speed at which legal recreational and medical marijuana markets are opening in the country. Although cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, various states have legalized its use within their borders. For this reason, the results of a survey conducted showed that 52.5 million Americans reported using cannabis in 2021. Read on as we interpret what these stats mean for the cannabis industry and support for cannabis legalization in the US

The Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported in its 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) that 20% of Americans ages 12 and older used cannabis in 2021. This percentage of the population is summarized as 52.5 million Americans, or one in five people in that age group. This makes cannabis the most commonly used substance classified by the federal government as an illegal drug. Cannabis is classified as a Schedule 1 drug, which means drugs with no medical use and high potential for addiction.

A closer look at the spread of the data across different age groups shows how cannabis use is in the population. The highest population of cannabis users in the country is between the ages of 18 and 25, with 35.4% of those in this age group or 11.8 million people using cannabis in 2021. The next age group to actively use cannabis is 26 years and older and 17.2% of these people or 37.9 people used cannabis in 2021. Finally, the last age group represented in the survey is 12 to 17 years old and 10.5% of them or 2.7 million people used cannabis in 2021.

Interpreting cannabis user demographics provides some interesting facts that help us understand the prevalence of cannabis use in the country. Most cannabis users in 2021 were adolescents, as most were aged between 18 and 40. This is the active percentage of the population that uses cannabis recreationally for creativity, stimulation, sound sleep, and energetic euphoria. It is also worth noting that this survey also included 2.7 million underage cannabis users. This shows that underage cannabis use continues to increase and urgently needs to be tracked.

Compared to other drugs like alcohol, a clear picture is emerging of how much cannabis use has increased among Americans in 2021. Outcome for alcohol consumption among Americans in 2021 was 133.1 million people ages 12 and older. This is a far cry from domestic cannabis use, but it’s important to note that alcohol is not illegal at the federal level. The highest rates of alcohol consumption were found among people aged 18 to 25 (29.2% or 9.8 million people), then from 26 years of age (22.94% or 49.3 million people) and finally between 12 and 17 years (3.8% or 995,000 people). .

This distribution of alcohol use in the population is similar to that of marijuana use in the population and shows active use among adolescents. According to Xavier Becerra, secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), millions of young Americans faced mental health and drug use problems in the second year of the pandemic. He then explained that HHS is committed to connecting people with such challenges to appropriate services.

Abused opioids, although illegal, are also one of the most commonly used drugs actively used in the United States in 2021. The survey found that 3.3% of people aged 12 and over had abused opioids such as heroin and other painkillers in 2021. That percentage adds up to 9.2 million people, of which 8.7 million people were affected by prescription painkillers and 1.1 million people used heroin. Over 574,000 people in this demographic are also recorded as having used heroin and abused prescription pain medication in 2021.

The burgeoning sales of cannabis and the increase in the number of users across the country has increased support for cannabis legalization among Americans. This was actively demonstrated by a Gallup poll showing that 68 percent of Americans support legalizing cannabis in the country. This result was even more significant when it showed that support for cannabis reforms was strong among Democrats (81%) and Republicans (51%).

The rise in the number of cannabis users in 2021 has also seen people from various subgroups known not to like cannabis too much jump into the action. Support for cannabis among Conservatives was spread across different age groups, with 59% of 30-49 year olds and 49% of 50-64 year olds supporting the legalization of cannabis in the country. These statistics are very significant considering that only 12% of Americans supported legalizing cannabis in 1969. The increase in the number of consumers was complemented by an increase in the number of legal markets in different states of the country.

The message about the usefulness of cannabis is gradually spreading through various channels around the country and is not going to stop anytime soon. More and more people are getting involved and using cannabis for medicinal purposes such as anxiety, depression, relieving pain and inflammation. There is also a large population of cannabis enthusiasts who make the most of cannabis for culinary-recreational purposes. There are new waves of cannabis-infused merchandise and edibles, reflecting the increase in the number of people who love and accept cannabis in America.

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