Cannabis and hallucinogen use among adults continued to reach historic highs in 2023, according to the latest findings from the NIH-supported Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey.
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Cannabis and hallucinogen use among adults is continuing to rise, hitting record levels in 2023 according to the latest report from the NIH-supported Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey. This study tracks substance use patterns across various age groups and highlights some key trends in how adults are using these substances.
For adults aged 19 to 30, the numbers are striking: 42% reported using cannabis in the past year, with nearly 30% saying they used it in the past month. Even more surprising, 10% said they use cannabis daily (which is defined as 20 or more days per month). The older age group, those between 35 and 50, showed slightly lower figures, with 29% reporting past-year use, 19% past-month use, and 8% using cannabis daily. These numbers have all gone up significantly in the past five to ten years for both age groups.
Hallucinogen use has also been on the rise. Among younger adults, 9% reported using substances like LSD, magic mushrooms (psilocybin), and peyote in the past year, while 4% of middle-aged adults said the same. This increase is part of a growing trend over the past five years, driven by greater interest in and availability of these substances.
Vaping, particularly among younger adults, is still high as well. In 2023, 25% of adults aged 19 to 30 said they vaped nicotine, and 22% said they vaped cannabis. For adults between 35 and 50, these rates have stayed pretty consistent from past years, though long-term trends are still being tracked since questions about vaping were only introduced in the survey in 2019.
A notable shift emerged in cannabis use between genders in younger adults. For the first time, women aged 19 to 30 reported higher past-year cannabis use than men in the same age group. However, in the older age group (35 to 50), men continued to report more cannabis use than women, which has been the case for the past decade.
On a different note, smoking and daily alcohol consumption have been declining, but binge drinking saw an increase among 35- to 50-year-olds, pointing to ongoing changes in substance use throughout adulthood.
These findings highlight the importance of continued research into both the risks and the potential benefits of substances like cannabis and hallucinogens, as the landscape of substance use continues to evolve.
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