Poll: 1/4 of U.S. Adults Are Current Cannabis Consumers

A new poll by YouGov and Sunnyside, the national retail dispensary brand of Cresco Labs, found 25% of respondents indicated they had used cannabis within the last year, with another 23% saying they had used cannabis for the first time over the previous 365 days.

A 2018 survey by the National Institutes of Health found 16% of U.S. adults were current cannabis consumers.

Additionally, the survey found 44% of cannabis-consuming parents with children under 18-years-old tried cannabis for the first time over the past year, along with 43% of respondents 65-and-older.

Cris Rivera, senior vice president of customer experience at Cresco Labs, said the poll was designed to “learn how current conditions have impacted consumer attitudes and cannabis consumption behaviors” ahead of 4/20.

“Whether it’s the stressors of a global pandemic, quality of life enhancement, or increased accessibility due to expanded state legalization, the industry is ready to meet these new consumers to introduce them to its precisely dosed lab-tested products, safe and professional packaging, and welcoming retail locations.” – Rivera in a press release

The poll also found some interesting regional cannabis attitudes and trends.

The majority of Northeast respondents surveyed, 64%, said they were most likely to use cannabis for anxiety or stress relief, while 74% of Midwestern cannabis consumers said if more people embraced cannabis the world would be a better place, with 32% of respondents in the South were more likely to use cannabis for intimacy.

Overall, 64% of cannabis consumers said that the world would be a better place were more people to embrace cannabis.

The YouGov/Cresco poll was conducted last month and included nearly 5,000 Americans.