Adult Americans are using cannabis more than cigarettes or alcohol, according to a new federal survey. Photo credit: Kampus Production, Pexels.
Cannabis has overtaken cigarettes in one of the US key measures of substance dependence, according to new data from the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), highlighting a significant shift in the country's patterns of tobacco and cannabis use.
The survey, released by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), estimated that 20.6 million Americans aged 12 and older met the diagnostic criteria for cannabis use disorder in 2025, compared with 19.8 million who met the criteria for nicotine dependence from cigarettes. Alcohol use disorder remained the nation's most common substance use disorder, affecting 27.9 million people.
The findings mark a milestone in the evolution of US substance use. Cigarette dependence ranked among the country's most prevalent substance use disorders for decades, but continued declines in smoking, coupled with growing cannabis consumption, have changed that picture.
The survey also showed that 21.4 million Americans used cannabis daily or almost daily in 2025, defined as use on at least 20 of the previous 30 days. That exceeded the 19.9 million people who smoked cigarettes daily or almost daily and the 17.2 million who consumed alcohol with the same frequency.
The trends have moved sharply in opposite directions over the past several years. Since 2021, daily or near-daily cannabis use has increased 21%, while frequent cigarette smoking has fallen 28%. Regular alcohol consumption has declined 24% over the same period.
Overall cannabis use has continued to climb as more states have legalized medical or recreational marijuana. The latest NSDUH estimated that 61.6 million Americans used cannabis during the previous year, making it the country's most widely used federally illicit drug.
SAMHSA's data suggest the increase reflects both greater use and a larger population at risk of developing problematic consumption patterns. Under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), cannabis use disorder includes a range of symptoms, such as unsuccessful attempts to reduce use, cravings, continued consumption despite adverse consequences, tolerance and withdrawal. The survey applies those criteria to respondents who reported using cannabis on six or more days during the previous year.
The findings do not indicate that cannabis is inherently more addictive than nicotine. Rather, they show that more Americans now meet the survey's diagnostic criteria for cannabis use disorder than for cigarette dependence. Public health experts attribute the shift largely to the continued decline in cigarette smoking alongside expanding legal cannabis markets and changing public attitudes toward marijuana.
The survey also illustrates broader changes in nicotine consumption. While cigarette smoking continues its long-term decline, nicotine vaping has become increasingly common. NSDUH estimated that 17.5 million Americans used nicotine vaping products daily or almost daily in 2025, placing vaping ahead of daily alcohol consumption but still behind both cannabis and cigarettes.
Despite the rise in adult cannabis use, the survey reported encouraging trends among younger Americans. Adolescents and young adults continued to report lower rates of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use than in previous years, while substance use disorders among those age groups also declined.