Roughly 54,200,000 Americans used cannabis in the past year — including 34,800,000 monthly consumers and 18,400,000 daily or near-daily users — a consumer population larger than every US state except California and Texas. The median cannabis consumer is 38 years old, 42% are women (up from 41% in 2024), and use now spans every household-income bracket. The breakdowns below answer who buys legal cannabis in the US, how cannabis consumption varies by age, gender, and income, why female cannabis consumers are the fastest-growing demographic, and which use cases (relaxation, sleep, pain, social) account for most purchases.
Short answer
54,200,000 Americans used cannabis in the past year — 34,800,000 monthly and 18,400,000 daily or near-daily. The median consumer is 38 years old and 42% are women.
54,200,000Past-year consumers
34,800,000Monthly consumers
18,400,000Daily / near-daily users
38Median consumer age
Consumers by Gender
Gender
Share of Consumers
Male
58%
Female
42%
Female consumers accounted for 42% of cannabis purchases in 2025, up from 41% in 2024 — the fastest-growing consumer segment.
Consumers by Household Income
Household Income
Share of Consumers
Under $35K
20%
$35K – $50K
14%
$50K – $75K
22%
$75K – $100K
18%
$100K – $150K
16%
$150K+
10%
Top Reasons for Use
Reason
% of Consumers Citing
Relaxation / stress relief
62%
Sleep
49%
Pain relief
43%
Anxiety
40%
Recreation / fun
38%
Creativity / focus
21%
About 34% of consumers use cannabis daily or near-daily, accounting for an estimated 70%+ of total retail spending. Respondents could select multiple reasons for use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.What is the average age of a cannabis consumer?
The median cannabis consumer is 38 years old in 2025, per Brightfield Group Consumer Insights. The largest consumer age bracket is 25-34 (29.3% of consumers), followed by 35-44 (21.8%) — the myth that cannabis is primarily used by young adults is increasingly outdated.
Q.What percentage of cannabis consumers are women?
42% of US cannabis consumers are women in 2025, up from 41% in 2024. Women are the fastest-growing cannabis consumer segment, with adoption growing especially fast in sleep, wellness, and low-dose edible/beverage categories.
Q.How many Americans use cannabis daily?
Approximately 18.4 million Americans use cannabis daily or near-daily (more than 20 days per month), per SAMHSA NSDUH 2024. This daily-user segment is estimated to account for 70%+ of total legal cannabis retail spending.
Q.What household income bracket buys the most cannabis?
Households earning $50,000-$75,000 per year are the largest cannabis consumer segment (22%), followed by $75K-$100K (18%) and $100K-$150K (16%). Higher-income households are increasingly well-represented — 26% of consumers are in households earning $100K+.
Q.Why do people use cannabis?
The most-cited reasons for cannabis use in 2025 are relaxation / stress relief (62%), sleep (49%), pain relief (43%), and anxiety (40%). Respondents can select multiple reasons — wellness and medical motivations now outweigh pure recreational use.
Q.Has cannabis use in the US increased?
Yes — past-year cannabis use grew from 49 million adults in 2022 to 54.2 million in 2024. Adult-use legalization drives both increased usage and increased reporting, as previously-illicit consumers become comfortable disclosing use in surveys.
Sources: SAMHSA National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2024, Brightfield Group Consumer Insights 2025.
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Data & accuracy: Statistics on this page are estimates compiled from third-party and government sources and are provided as-is, without warranty of accuracy or completeness. Figures change over time — verify against the cited primary sources before relying on them.
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