Increasing cannabis use among U.S. Adults: Greater growth among historically lower-use groups, BRFSS 2016-2024

Cannabis use in the United States has increased in recent years, with expanding legalization, lower perceived risk, and greater availability proposed as potential contributing factors. This study examined whether groups with historically lower cannabis use experienced larger increases over time and whether patterns of frequency of use differed across demographic and behavioral groups.

Data were drawn from the 2016-2024 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a large, population-based survey of U.S. adults. Trends in past 30-day cannabis use were assessed using estimated annual percent change (EAPC) from log-linear regression. Survey-weighted logistic regression examined correlates of use, and survey-weighted linear regression estimated adjusted differences in the mean days of use.

The overall EAPC in past 30-day cannabis use was 8.5% (95% CI, 5.7%-11.4%). Increases were observed across all subgroups, with greater relative increases among groups with lower baseline prevalence, including older adults, women, married or cohabitating individuals, homemakers or retirees, college or technical school graduates, former or never smokers, and residents of jurisdictions where cannabis was illegal or limited to medical use. In adjusted analyses, mean days of cannabis use were lower among older adults, women, students, individuals with higher educational attainment, non-heavy drinkers, binge drinkers, never smokers, overweight or obese individuals, residents of jurisdictions where cannabis was illegal, and in earlier years. Age was the only characteristic that significantly modified temporal trends in frequency of use (p < 0.01), with significant increases observed across all age groups.

Cannabis use increased across all subgroups from 2016 to 2024, with larger relative gains among historically lower-use groups. Among those reporting past 30-day use, frequency of use also increased over time, although patterns of frequency varied across demographic and behavioral characteristics. These findings indicate broad-based but uneven changes in cannabis use across U.S. adult populations.