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Cited by 188Cannabis and Cannabinoid ResearchSubstance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesSmoking Behavior and Cessation

Trends over time in adult cannabis use: a review of recent findings

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Hasin, Deborah, Walsh, Claire·2021·Current Opinion in Psychology
DOI 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.03.005PMC PMC8905582
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Abstract

In the United States, policies regarding the medical and nonmedical use of cannabis are changing rapidly. In 2021, a total of 34 US states have legalized cannabis for adult medical use, and 15 of these states have legalized adult non-medical use. These changing policies have raised questions about increasing prevalences of cannabis use, changing perceptions regarding frequent use, and potentially related outcomes such as comorbid psychiatric illness or driving under the influence of cannabis. Research regarding the correlates of any and frequent cannabis use is also developing quickly. This article reviews recent empirical studies concerning (1) adult trends in cannabis use, (2) state cannabis laws and related outcomes, and (3) emerging evidence regarding how the global coronavirus 19 pandemic may impact cannabis use patterns. We summarize recent findings and conclude with suggestions to address unanticipated effects of rapidly changing cannabis laws and policies.

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  • In 2022, 61.9 million people (22.0%) reported using cannabis in the past year, while 42.3 million people (15.0%) used cannabis in the past 30 days, with use prevalence increasing over time.

    “In 2022, 61.9 million people (22.0 %) reported using cannabis in the past year, while 42.3 million people (15.0 %) used cannabis in the past 30 days (i.e., current use), with use prevalence increasing over time (Compton et al., 2016, Hasin and Walsh, 2021, Palamar et al., 2021, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2023).”

    From Prevalence of and trends in current cannabis use among US youth and adults, 2013–2022 (2024) · cites this paper as Hasin and Walsh, 2021

    The NSDUH findings section reports that adult cannabis-use prevalence increased over earlier periods, including a rise in past-year nonmedical use from 2002 to 2015. The paper does not provide the claimed 2022 past-year or past-30-day counts and percentages, so it supports the trend but not those figures. (LLM, conf=0.90)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In the United States, surveys have shown an increase in the frequency of use among people who already used cannabis since legalization, but conflicting results on the prevalence of cannabis use disorders.

    “In the United States, surveys have shown an increase in the frequency of use among people who already used cannabis since legalization [44, 45], but conflicting results on the prevalence of cannabis use disorders [46].”

    From The implementation and public health impacts of cannabis legalization in Canada: a systematic review (2023) · cites this paper as [44]

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Research works printed but not linked: 52

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Hasin, D., & Walsh, C.
Affiliations
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
  • Columbia University (US)
Corresponding author
Hasin, Deborah
ORCID
Venue
Current Opinion in Psychology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-04
Volume
38
Pages
80-85
ISSN
2352-250X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.03.005
PMC
PMC8905582
OpenAlex
W3136446667
Cited by
188
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 51 · 2024: 45 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 2
FWCI
3.45
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Current Opinion in Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA048860)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
Keywords
cannabis use trends, state cannabis laws, cannabis legalization, medical cannabis, cannabis-impaired driving, COVID-19 pandemic, cannabis policy
MeSH terms
COVID-19, Adult, Cannabis, Hallucinogens, Humans, Legislation, Drug, Marijuana Smoking, United States, Substance-Related Disorders, Medical Marijuana

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