Oregon and Colorado Have the Most Cannabis Users Per Capita in the U.S.

This map reflects the top cannabis using states. In the circles, from left to right: Washington, Oregon, Colorado and the New England states.

The website Best Life has determined which states have the most cannabis users. They calculated the "percentage of adults in each state who say they've used cannabis within the last year, according to Statista," based on 2018-2019 research. They also used U.S. Census population data per state. The numbers below are per capita or per 100,000 residents.

 

State-by-State Numbers

1. Oregon: 28,560

2. Colorado: 27,770

3. Vermont: 25,710

4. Maine: 25,530

5. Alaska: 24,520

6. Washington: 24,180

7. Nevada: 22,610

8. Rhode Island: 21,290

9. New Hampshire: 20,890

10. Massachusetts: 20,870

RELATED: States Where Marijuana Is Legalized, Decriminalized or Medicalized

11. Montana: 20,070

12. New Mexico: 18,990

13. Michigan 18,910

14. California: 18,890

15. Connecticut: 18,680

16. Delaware: 17,400

17. Arizona: 17,200

18. Minnesota: 15,900

19. Indiana: 15,890

20. New York: 15,530

RELATED: Oregon Tops ASA's List of Medical-Marijuana States

21. Illinois: 15,410

22. Missouri:14,820

23. Maryland: 14,810

24. West Virginia: 14,650

25. Hawaii: 14,560

26. Pennsylvania: 14,470

27. Florida: 14,450

28. Idaho: 13,960

29. Ohio: 13,960

30. Kansas: 13,930

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31. South Carolina: 13,820

32. Wisconsin: 13,770

33. Georgia: 13,710

34. Arkansas: 13,610

35. Tennessee: 13,240

36. Oklahoma: 13,150

37. Wyoming: 13,140

38. Kentucky: 13,000

39. North Carolina: 12,960

40. Alabama: 12,820

RELATED: States That Are Blocking, Attempting to Block or Altering Marijuana Legalization

41. Nebraska: 12,700

42. Iowa: 12,610

43. Louisiana: 12,540

44. New Jersey: 12,420

45. South Dakota: 12,260

46. North Dakota: 12,170

47. Virginia: 12,050

48. Mississippi: 11,670

49. Texas: 11,210

50. Utah: 11,160

 

Analysis

Considering these are 2018-2019 numbers, it reflects states that were adult legal by then: Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts. Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. All of these states have stong medical programs, as well as Florida, Illinois and Oklahoma. Eight of the top states were adult legal by 2016. The other two - New Hampshire and Rhode Island - are in the Northeast where numerous states (Connecticut, New Jersey and New York) passed legalization in 2021.

Cannabis use in the leading states is 2.5 times higher than in the least states. Despite prohibition, use is strong in Indiana, MInnesota and West Virginia. The bottom 10 states includes two of the most recent to legalize - New Jersey and Virginia. Perhaps if there were more users in Texas, the Lone Star State would be able to reform its laws. 

 

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Steve Bloom

Steve Bloom

Publisher of CelebStoner.com, former editor of High Times and Freedom Leaf and co-author of Pot Culture and Reefer Movie Madness.