San Diego, CA: Over one-third of California adults acknowledge having consumed cannabis within the past three months, and most say that they obtain it primarily from state-licensed dispensaries, according to survey data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Researchers with the University of California at San Diego surveyed over 5,000 California adults. Respondents were demographically matched to the 2020 California census.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported currently consuming cannabis products, while 33 percent said that they were former consumers. Over three quarter of current consumers said that they obtained marijuana products primarily from licensed dispensaries – a finding that the study’s authors acknowledged is “in contrast to public reporting regarding the strong presence of the illicit marketplace” in California.
Current consumers said that their cannabis use positively impacted their lives, with participants reporting improved emotional (82 percent), mental (81 percent), and physical (62 percent) health. More than half of consumers acknowledged using cannabis in place of a prescription medication – a finding that is consistent with other surveys.
California voters approved a ballot measure regulating the adult-use marijuana market in 2016.
Full text of the study, “Cannabis use in California following legalization of recreational use,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.