OPINION:
Marijuana is rapidly replacing alcohol and tobacco as America’s addictive substance of choice.
Data from the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed that there are 21.4 million daily marijuana users in America, compared to 19.9 million who smoke cigarettes and 17.2 million who consume alcohol daily.
The number of Americans using marijuana every day rose 21% between 2022 and 2025, from 17.7 million to approximately 21.4 million. The rise may have been due in part to social isolation from COVID-19.
This is not the relatively harmless pot of the 1960s. In 1969, the average marijuana plant had a THC (the addictive substance of pot) level of 1% to 2%. Today, the average marijuana plant has a THC level of 22%, with the THC level exceeding 35% in some specialty strains.
Through selective breeding, marijuana growers deliberately increased the THC content to make the substance more addictive and in so doing, have made it harder for users to kick the habit. This assures growers an ever-expanding customer base.
Where it is legal, marijuana is aggressively marketed. In 2024, marijuana was a $38.5 billion industry. In many communities, there are now more marijuana dispensaries than fast food restaurants.
The consequences are undeniable.
Teens who start using pot before age 18 have a 37% to 70% higher risk of experiencing depression as an adult. The Journal of the American Medical Association found a 92% higher incidence of anxiety disorder among regular users of today’s higher-potency marijuana.
This is to say nothing of the rise of industrial and highway accidents because of increased marijuana use.
Recent studies show that 40% of drivers killed in a car crash tested positive for THC. According to data from Quest Diagnostics, the use of marijuana resulted in a 200% increase in industrial accidents since 2012.
And yet 79% of eighth graders see no risk in trying marijuana. Who is going to inform them of the risk: the marijuana industry or the state and local governments that reap a revenue windfall from marijuana sales? Marijuana sales have generated $28 billion in state and local tax revenue since 2014.
It is up to the media and educators to make children aware of the dangers of marijuana use. Education is crucial if we don’t want to see America’s future go up in smoke.
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