Daily Marijuana Use Now Exceeds Alcohol And Tobacco In The U.S., Federal Survey Finds

New federal data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) show that daily marijuana use in the United States has surpassed daily cigarette smoking and habitual alcohol consumption for the first time.

Key Findings

• Daily marijuana users: 21.4 million Americans aged 12 and older (SAMHSA 2025).
• Daily cigarette users: About 19.9 million — lower than daily cannabis users for the first time in NSDUH history.
• Daily or most-days alcohol consumers: 17.2 million, trailing daily cannabis use.

What the Numbers Mean

The SAMHSA 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reports that daily marijuana use increased by nearly 4 million people versus five years earlier. This growth reflects both broader legalization (medical in 41 states and recreational in 24) and a much wider product landscape: gummies, tinctures, vapes and beverages in multiple dosages aimed at longtime users and newcomers alike.

However, monthly reach still favors alcohol by a large margin: nearly 140 million people reported drinking at least once in the past month, versus fewer than 44 million who reported any marijuana use in the past month. The difference lies in frequency: only about 13% of monthly alcohol consumers drink daily, while as many as 50% of monthly cannabis users report daily use — a sign that cannabis use has intensified within a concentrated subset of users.

Demographics, Trends And Caveats

Alcohol consumption has softened from a 2021 peak under pressures such as inflation, supply disruptions, rising popularity of weight-loss drugs and — according to some analysts — competition from cannabis. But trends are uneven: the latest Bevtrac survey from the International Wine & Spirits Research (IWSR) finds 74% of legal-age Gen Z now drink, an 8-point rise from three years ago, suggesting younger adults may be using more of both substances rather than substituting one for the other.

Bottom line: Cannabis is becoming a habitual daily product for a growing core of users, while alcohol remains more widely used on a monthly basis but with fewer daily consumers.

These figures do not prove causation. Rising daily cannabis use could reflect changing laws, product innovation and shifting social norms as much as substitution effects with alcohol or tobacco. Policymakers, public-health officials and industry observers should continue to watch frequency as well as reach when assessing impacts on health and society.

About This Coverage

This article is based on SAMHSA's 2025 NSDUH releases and industry data (IWSR Bevtrac). For consumers interested in drinks and hemp beverages, note that product innovation is reshaping both alcohol and cannabis markets.

Disclosure: The original reporting referenced The Daily Pour and its coverage of beverages and hemp products; this summary focuses on the federal survey findings and their implications.