Washington, DC: One half of all Americans ages 18 and older acknowledge having tried cannabis, according to survey data compiled by Gallup.
Fifty percent of respondents said that they had consumed cannabis – up from approximately one-in-three Americans two decades ago. Seventeen percent of respondents identified themselves as current marijuana smokers, up from seven percent a decade ago.
Young adult respondents (those between the ages of 18 and 34) and those who identified as Democrats were most likely to acknowledge having had prior experience with cannabis. Men (19 percent) were more likely than women (14 percent) to identify as current marijuana consumers.
Gallup’s polling is consistent with those of other surveys. For example, data compiled in 2022 by YouGov.com reported that 52 percent of US adults have tried marijuana at least once during their lifetimes. Survey data compiled by the US government in 2021 estimated that 46 percent of people age 12 or older have used the substance.
Prior polling by Gallup reports that 70 percent of Americans perceive smoking marijuana to be morally acceptable, and 68 percent say that its use should be legal for adults.
Detailed poll results are available from Gallup. Additional survey data is available from NORML.