<div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">For the first time on record, cannabis has outpaced alcohol as the daily drug of choice for Americans.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">In 2022 there were 17.7 million people who reported using cannabis either every day or nearly every day, compared with 14.7 million who reported using alcohol with the same frequency, according to <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/add.16519" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a study, published on Wednesday</a> in the journal Addiction that analyzed data from the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">While far more people drink than use cannabis, drinking frequently has become slightly less common than it was around 15 years ago, the study found. But the proportion of people in the U.S. who use cannabis frequently has increased 15-fold in the three decades since 1992, when daily cannabis use hit a low point.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Cannabis legalization has also rapidly accelerated since the ’90s. The drug is now legal for recreational use in <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/civil-and-criminal-justice/marijuana-overview.aspx" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">24 states and Washington, D.C.</a>, and for medical use in <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/state-medical-marijuana-laws.aspx" title="" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">38 states</a> and D.C.</p></div>

<div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The sharp increase in the prevalence of high-frequency cannabis use over the last three decades might partly be attributed to a growing acceptance of the drug, said Jonathan P. Caulkins, a professor of public policy at Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University. And because the survey data was self-reported, people may now feel more comfortable disclosing how often they use it.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Even so, “I don’t think that for most daily or near-daily users it is a health-promoting activity,” he added. “For some, it’s truly harmful.”</p><div class="css-1336jj"><div class="css-121kum4"><div class="css-asuuk5"><noscript><div class="css-7axq9l" data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript"><svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true" class="css-1b5b8u1"><path fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M2.5 12a9.5 9.5 0 1 1 19 0 9.5 9.5 0 0 1-19 0Zm8.5 1.75v-7.5h2v7.5h-2Zm0 2v2h2v-2h-2Z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><div data-testid="optimistic-truncator-noscript-message" class="css-6yo1no"><p class="css-3kpklk">We are having trouble retrieving the article content.</p><p class="css-3kpklk">Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.</p></div></div></noscript><div class="css-1dv1kvn" tabindex="-1"><hr><p>Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and&nbsp;<a href="https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F23%2Fwell%2Fmind%2Fmarijuana-cannabis-alcohol-study.html&amp;asset=opttrunc">log into</a>&nbsp;your Times account, or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F23%2Fwell%2Fmind%2Fmarijuana-cannabis-alcohol-study.html">subscribe</a>&nbsp;for all of The Times.</p><hr></div><div class="css-1g71tqy"><div data-testid="optimistic-truncator-message" class="css-6yo1no"><p class="css-3kpklk">Thank you for your patience while we verify access.</p><p class="css-3kpklk">Already a subscriber?&nbsp;<a data-testid="log-in-link" class="css-z5ryv4" href="https://myaccount.nytimes.com/auth/login?response_type=cookie&amp;client_id=vi&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F23%2Fwell%2Fmind%2Fmarijuana-cannabis-alcohol-study.html&amp;asset=opttrunc">Log in</a>.</p><p class="css-3kpklk">Want all of The Times?&nbsp;<a data-testid="subscribe-link" class="css-z5ryv4" href="https://www.nytimes.com/subscription?campaignId=89WYR&amp;redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2024%2F05%2F23%2Fwell%2Fmind%2Fmarijuana-cannabis-alcohol-study.html">Subscribe</a>.</p></div></div></div></div></div></div>

A new study shows a growing number of people are regularly using cannabis, while frequent alcohol consumption has remained stable.{ai:summary}<p>Cannabis surpasses alcohol as daily drug choice for Americans. Rising acceptance and legalization drive increase in high-frequency use, sparking concerns about health risks. #society</p>