A new poll finds that more Americans smoke marijuana daily than drink alcohol every day, with alcohol drinkers more likely to say they would benefit from limiting their use than marijuana consumers are.
The YouGov survey, conducted from June 7-10, 2024, polled 1,116 U.S. adults. It found that while lifetime and monthly alcohol drinking among adults was far more common than marijuana use, daily marijuana consumption was slightly more popular than daily drinking. Specifically, 8 percent of adults reported using marijuana daily, compared to 5 percent who said they drink alcohol daily.
The poll also revealed that U.S. adults who drink alcohol are nearly three times as likely to say they’d be better off reducing their intake compared to marijuana consumers who said they’d benefit from using their preferred substance less often. Among alcohol users, 30 percent felt they’d be better off drinking less, while only 11 percent of marijuana users felt the same about their consumption.
The survey highlighted the broader attitudes toward the legality of both substances. Sixty percent of adults believe marijuana use should be legal in the U.S., compared to 76 percent for alcohol. Among those who have used either substance, 81 percent of alcohol users and 79 percent of marijuana users supported its legality.
The findings are consistent with a separate study published in May in the journal Addiction, which similarly found that there are more U.S. adults who use marijuana daily than who drink alcohol every day.
In terms of frequency, the YouGov survey showed that the most frequent marijuana users—those who use it at least once a week—tended to believe they would benefit from either maintaining or increasing their current usage. In contrast, frequent alcohol drinkers were more likely to think they’d be better off drinking less often.
The survey also comes in the wake of a report from a multinational investment bank last year, which projected that marijuana would become a formidable competitor to alcohol, with nearly 20 million more people expected to regularly consume marijuana over the next five years as alcohol loses a couple million drinkers. Marijuana sales in the U.S. are estimated to reach $37 billion by 2027 as more state markets come online.
Data from a Gallup survey published last August also found that Americans consider marijuana to be less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, vapes, and other tobacco products. Another Canadian study found that marijuana legalization was associated with a decline in beer sales, suggesting a substitution effect.
The YouGov survey sheds light on evolving consumption patterns and attitudes, highlighting marijuana’s growing acceptance and its potential to surpass alcohol in daily use among Americans.
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