Study: 1 in 6 Americans smoke weed; cigarettes, alcohol consumption down 

A record number of U.S. adults smoke marijuana, a new report found, while cigarette use and alcohol consumption have fallen to record lows.

According to Gallup’s annual Consumption Habits poll, conducted July 1-19, 17% of U.S. adults smoke marijuana, matching the record high in 2023, and an additional 15% consume marijuana edibles. This compares with 7% of adults smoking marijuana in 2013, when Gallup first recorded the statistic.

Marijuana use is higher among younger adults, with nearly a quarter of those ages 18 to 49 reporting smoking it. It was only 10% of 50- to 64-year-olds and 5% of those older than 65.

Marijuana consumption also correlates with education, religion and income. One in five people who never graduated from college use it, either by smoking or eating edibles, compared with 11% of college graduates.

Just 4% of weekly religious service attenders consume marijuana, compared with 22% of those who never attend services. About one in four (24%) individuals with a household income below $50,000 consume marijuana, nearly double the rate (13%) of those earning $100,000 or more.

Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans smoking cigarettes has dropped from an all-time high of 45% in 1954 to 11% today. Additionally, only 9% report vaping, and 4% say they use nicotine pouches, such as Zyn, weekly.

Also hitting a record low, 54% of American adults drink alcohol, and 13% say they sometimes drink too much. Beer remains Americans’ top alcoholic beverage, followed by liquor and then wine, while 17% of Americans say they substitute nonalcoholic beverages instead.

Americans who drink report an average of 3.2 drinks a week, and 51% of U.S. adults say one or two drinks a day is bad for one’s health.

“Americans’ alcohol use has changed significantly in recent years as concern about its health effects has grown,” the report concludes. “Fewer Americans are drinking, and those who do appear to be cutting back, including by turning to nonalcoholic drinks.”