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Marijuana Abuse and Addiction

  • Reviewed by: Dr. Carl Williams, Ph.D., LCADC
  • Modified:
  • Reading Time: 7 minutes
  • Reviewed by: Dr. Carl Williams, Ph.D., LCADC
  • Last Update:
  • Reading Time: 7 minutes

Learn about marijuana addiction, its effects, rising acceptance, and key statistics on abuse and prevention measures.

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Understanding Marijuana Use & Its Potentially Dangerous Forms

Marijuana Stats and Abuse

Marijuana is a drug that comes from the Cannabis plant and is used to get high. The plant is usually dried out, ground up, and smoked before being used (in the paper, like a cigarette, or a pipe, like tobacco).

“Edibles” are also a way for people to get their hands on cannabis. In the United States, many people use marijuana. Edibles are foods like baked goods and candies with the active ingredient in marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and they have the same effects as smoking.

Some people eat a resin-like substance concentrated from the plant that gives them a much stronger high. Often called “Wax” or “Shatter,” this substance can be a thick liquid, a wax-like substance, or a hard and crystallized material that is usually vaporized and inhaled. It can also be a hard candy-like substance. Often, butane or isopropyl alcohol is used to make the substance. This can be very dangerous to the person who is using it.

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Current Trends & Usage Statistics of Marijuana in the United States

General Statistics

There are two types of marijuana: Cannabis sativa and Cannabis Indica.

Marijuana comprises these plants’ dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds. The plant has the mind-altering chemical THC and other compounds that do the same thing.

Most people in the United States like to smoke pot, and it’s a good bet that most people want to smoke pot too.

Stats on Marijuana Use in the United States

  • Seventy-eight million people in the United States said they had used marijuana.

  • A national survey by Yahoo News and Marist shows that about 35 million people in the United States use marijuana at least once a month.

  • In addition, 55 million Americans said they had used marijuana last year.

  • The 55 million figure is higher than the number of people actively smoking tobacco, which is about 36.5 million (CDC).

  • If you want to smoke marijuana, there are 50.68 percent more of you than there are people who smoke tobacco.

  • A 2015 study by Jama Psychiatry found that marijuana’s popularity has risen significantly over the last ten years.

  • According to the study, in 2001-02, 4.1% of Americans said they had used more drugs in the last year.

  • By 2015, that figure had more than doubled to 9.1%.

  • The study also found that the number of people with marijuana use disorder went down from 35.6 percent to 30.6 percent between 2001 and 2013.

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Global & National Marijuana Consumption Patterns and Related Statistics

International Statistics

  • According to the United Nations, 158.8 million people worldwide use marijuana. That’s more than 3.7% of the world’s population.

  • Over 94 million people in the United States have used it at least once.

  • It says that 2.1 million people in the United States tried marijuana for the first time in 2007.

  • Most 12- to 17-year-olds used marijuana at least once a week in 2007.

  • Since 1981, domestic marijuana production has risen from 1,000 metric tons (2.2 million pounds) to 10,000 metric tons (22 million pounds) in the United States.

  • People between the ages of 12 and 17 say that pot is easy to get. Many people in the United States used marijuana in 2000, and they spent about $10.5 billion on it, so

  • In 2005, 242,200 people in the United States went to the emergency room because they were high on pot.

  • According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, many people arrested for crimes have marijuana.

  • Across the country, 40% of adult males were found positive for drugs when arrested.

  • Many people who used marijuana before age 15 ended up using cocaine, heroin, or mind-altering prescription drugs at some point in their lives.

  • Those who used marijuana before 15 were more likely to use cocaine, heroin, or mind-altering prescription drugs.

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Shifting Perceptions

Is Marijuana Becoming More Accepted?

Marijuana is becoming more popular because it is becoming more accepted today. Many think marijuana is less dangerous than other drugs, like alcohol or painkillers.

The Drug Enforcement Administration says there have never been any marijuana-related overdoses. This means that people may think that marijuana is “less harmful” (DEA).

  • People in the U.S. say that regular alcohol use is more of a risk to their health than marijuana.

  • Seventy-six percent of people in the United States think marijuana is less harmful than tobacco.

  • Marijuana is thought to be less harmful than prescription painkillers by 67% of people.

  • Study: More than half of Americans (at least 56%) think that using marijuana is “socially acceptable.”

  • However, people who use marijuana for a long time may become mentally addicted, which can be called a marijuana use disorder.

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Psychological & Social Effects of Marijuana Use

Marijuana's Effects and How it Can be Abused

There were more 8th, 10th, and 12th graders who smoked marijuana than smoked cigarettes every day in 2017.

But more 8th graders smoked marijuana than smoked cigarettes.

Among 8th graders, this is the first time that daily marijuana use seemed to outpace everyday cigarette use for the first time.

This change happened in 10th graders in 2014 and 12th graders in 2015, when there was a significant drop in daily cigarette use and a steady rise in everyday marijuana use.

Impacts of Marijuana Use on Teen Drivers and Mental Health

  • Nineteen percent of teen drivers say they have driven while high on marijuana.

  • Many people who die in car accidents have a lot of illegal drugs in their system. Marijuana is the most common but often mixed with alcohol or other drugs.

  • People who start smoking marijuana at a young age are more likely to have mental problems.

  • Girls between the ages of 14 and 15 who used marijuana every day were five times more likely to be depressed when they were 21.

  • Also, in young women who use it daily, there is a significant rise in the chance that they will report feeling depressed or anxious.

  • More than a third of young people who use the drug will become addicted.​

Even if you don’t smoke marijuana, it can affect your cognitive abilities. Regular use could lower your IQ by as many as 8 points.

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Written By:

Angel Alexander

Angel alexander pic edited
Rolling Hills Recovery Center

Mental Health Writer

About Author:

Angel Alexander is certified in mental health studies and mental health coaching. Angel has over nine years of freelance writing experience and seven years in mental health and substance abuse writing. Angel is currently in her 2nd year of studies at Wallace Community College for the study of psychology.

Medically Reviewed By:

Dr. Carl Williams Ph.D., LCADC

Carl Williams, medical content reviewer at rolling hills recovery center
Rolling Hills Recovery Center

Expert Contributor

About Reviewer:

Dr. Williams presently serves on the board of Directors for two non-profit service organizations. He holds a Master’s degree in Human Services from Lincoln University, Philadelphia, Pa, and a Ph.D. with a concentration in Clinical Psychology from Union Institute and University. In Cincinnati, Ohio. He is licensed to practice addictions counseling in both New Jersey and Connecticut and has a pending application as a practicing Psychologist in New Jersey.

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