Cannabis consumption is more prevalent in the US than ever. 38 states have some form of legal weed, and roughly half of Americans have at least tried it. While states like California and Michigan lead the nation in cannabis sales, the state that consumes the most pot may surprise you.
To find out which state is the most stoned, analysts at Insider Monkey reviewed data from SAMHSA’s 2021-22 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. They looked at the “total percentage of residents aged 12 or older who reported consuming cannabis within the past 30 days before the survey.” As it turns out, one tiny Northeast state took high honors.
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According to the analysis, Vermont has the most residents who report consuming cannabis. Nearly 25 percent of respondents from the maple syrup capital said they used a pot product in the last month. With a nickname like The Green Mountain State, it seems Vermonters take the moniker quite literally.
There was no data on what type of cannabis was being consumed between adult-use and medical. Recreational marijuana has been legal in Vermont since 2018, but medical was approved two decades ago.
Coming in second in the most stoned state race is Alaska. Roughly 22 percent of residents in The Last Frontier report using cannabis. Rounding out the top five are Oregon, New Mexico, and Washington.
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One might assume that California would rank somewhere near the top on a pot-smoking list, given its long history with cannabis cultivation and medical marijuana. However, the Golden State barely made the list, coming in at number 20. Only 15 percent of Californians reported using cannabis in the last month. The lower number could be explained by the fact that many residents live in an area where dispensaries are banned. Or perhaps California wineries are just that much more popular.
Cannabis is becoming more popular by the day. As markets continue to come online and the federal government mulls reform, the number of people trying pot will only rise. Polls are mixed when it comes to the nationwide average, but there’s no doubt that bud is hitting the big time.
