Daily Marijuana Use Surpasses Alcohol and Tobacco For the First Time

(Photo: AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Marijuana has officially overtaken alcohol and tobacco in the daily habits of Americans, according to recently released federal data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The organization’s 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that 21.4 million Americans over the age of 12 reported daily marijuana consumption, an increase of nearly 4 million compared to just five years prior. That figure places daily marijuana use above daily cigarette use for the first time in the survey’s history, with the latter currently sitting at around 19.9 million daily users.

The same survey found that 17.2 million Americans reported drinking alcohol every day or most days, suggesting that it too has fallen behind the habitual consumption of THC.

The statistics paint a familiar picture to anyone who’s followed headlines over the past few years. Marijuana, now permitted in 41 states for medical use and 24 states for recreational use, is closer than ever to federal legalization. Long gone are the days of a joint hastily rolled in a neighbor’s garage; in 2026, consumers in most markets have their pick of the litter from gummies, tinctures, vapes and drinks in every dosage variety, marketed not only to long-time users, but also to parents, executives and the increasingly buzzy “active lifestyle.”

It’s difficult to say where alcohol fits into the equation. Booze consumption has fallen from its peak in 2021 due to a variety of headwinds, chief among them inflation, trade tensions, the proliferation of weight loss drugs and — some would claim — marijuana use.

But trends can change fast. According to the latest Bevtrac survey from IWSR, the drinking rate among legal-age Gen Z consumers has stabilized at 74%, an 8% increase from three years prior. The long-standing assumption that younger Americans are trading alcohol for marijuana doesn’t seem to be entirely true; if anything, they’re now partaking in more of both.

The other caveat worth noting is the divide between daily and casual use.

Popular as marijuana may be, it’s yet to become a casually accepted option for most Americans. Nearly 140 million respondents reported consuming alcohol at least once in the past month, compared to less than 44 million who said they consumed marijuana in the same time frame. On the flip side, only 13% of monthly alcohol consumers reported drinking daily, while daily marijuana use was reported as high as 50%.

The moral of the story? Marijuana has grown increasingly popular within a small subset of consumers, while alcohol has witnessed overall declines with a far broader audience base. As the THC industry innovates toward shinier, newcomer-friendly products, it may soon capture the mainstream appeal that booze has long enjoyed in the routines of drinkers worldwide.