A newly published study finds that more people use marijuana daily than drink alcohol daily.
The study, published Wednesday in the journal Addiction, was written by Jonathan Caulkins, a cannabis policy researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, and was based on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
While more Americans overall drink alcohol than smoke marijuana, the study claims this is the first time in U.S. history that the number of daily marijuana consumers exceeds the number of daily alcohol users.
The survey found that 17.7 million Americans reported using marijuana daily or nearly daily as of 2022. Only 14.7 million Americans reported drinking alcohol daily or nearly daily in the same year.
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New research shows that the number of daily cannabis users exceeds daily alcohol consumers. (iStock)
“A significant 40% of current cannabis users use cannabis daily or nearly daily, and this pattern is more associated with tobacco use than with typical alcohol use,” Caulkins said. explained.
Overdosing on both substances can be dangerous, and in March experts spoke to Fox News Digital outlining the dangers of smoking marijuana every day.
Dr. Abra Jeffers, a data analyst at Massachusetts General Hospital, stressed to Fox News Digital that excessive marijuana use is dangerous.
“People think marijuana is harmless, but that’s not the case,” she says. “Marijuana use (primarily by smoking) Smoke a cigarette. ”
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Daily or near-daily marijuana use is now more common in the United States than alcohol use with comparable frequency, according to a study published Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in the journal Addiction, an analysis of survey data spanning four decades. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
“While we reported results for daily use, any use increases risk. The more days of use per month, the higher the risk,” she added.
The National Cannabis Industry Association previously told Fox News Digital that cannabis is “clearly safer than alcohol.” But Dr. Robert Page, a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, also told Fox News that overdosing on marijuana can threaten heart health.
“Cannabis is not an innocent bystander when it comes to cardiovascular health,” he says. “The public needs to be informed of the fact that these types of cardiovascular events are possible and people need to make informed decisions.”
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Some doctors say marijuana can threaten cardiovascular health. ((PABLO VERA/AFP via Getty Images)(iStock))
Marijuana can also have a negative impact on users’ cognitive and mental health, the doctor added.
“Cannabinoids have so-called psychoactive effects that affect perception and mental state,” Page explained. “And as if Prescription drugs Psychotropic drugs have side effects.”
Colorado doctors advised that cannabis smokers should be honest with their health care providers about their use and get their doctor’s approval before choosing to use cannabis daily.
More people in the United States use marijuana every day than drink alcohol every day, according to a new study. (AP)
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“When it comes to cannabis use, there needs to be shared decision-making between patients and healthcare providers,” he said. “Patient-centered, open-minded conversations are what we really need.”
___ Angelica Stabile of The Associated Press and Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
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