Daily Marijuana Use Is at a Record High: What Should Adults and Families Know?

Marijuana use among American adults continues to change significantly. New findings from the Monitoring the Future Panel Study, a long-running University of Michigan research project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), show that daily marijuana use has reached record levels among both younger and middle-aged adults.

The findings also raise important questions about cannabis dependence, cognitive functioning, parenting, cardiovascular health, and the growing availability of intoxicating hemp-derived products such as Delta-8 THC.

Here are some of the most important questions adults and families should be asking.

What does “daily marijuana use” actually mean?

In the Monitoring the Future study, daily marijuana use generally refers to using cannabis on 20 or more of the previous 30 days.

That is important because we are not talking about someone who occasionally uses marijuana at a party or on a weekend. Someone using cannabis 20 or more days per month has incorporated marijuana into most days of his or her life.

According to the 2025 survey, daily marijuana use reached record highs of 11.8% among adults ages 19–30 and 8.5% among adults ages 35–50.

At ages 27 and 28, daily use reached 13.9%—approximately one in seven adults.

Why is the age of daily marijuana users important?

One reason is brain development.

Research indicates that the brain continues developing into the mid-20s, particularly areas involved in executive functioning, planning, judgment, impulse control and decision-making.

Regular cannabis use—particularly frequent or heavy use—has been associated with problems involving attention, memory and learning. Earlier initiation and more frequent use are also associated with greater risk of developing cannabis use disorder.

This makes the high rates of near-daily marijuana use among adults in their 20s particularly noteworthy.

These are years when many people are completing their education, beginning careers, establishing relationships, becoming financially independent and starting families.

Can someone really become addicted to marijuana?

Yes.

A common misconception is that marijuana is not addictive. Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is a recognized clinical condition characterized by a problematic pattern of cannabis use that causes significant impairment or distress.

Signs can include:

• Using more marijuana than intended
• Repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut down
• Spending significant time obtaining, using or recovering from marijuana
• Craving cannabis
• Continuing to use despite problems at work, school or home
• Giving up important activities because of marijuana
• Developing tolerance
• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms
• Continuing to use despite knowing it is contributing to physical or psychological problems

Importantly, addiction is not defined simply by how often someone uses a substance. The central question is whether the person’s use has become difficult to control and is producing meaningful consequences.

Is cannabis use disorder increasing?

The Monitoring the Future findings suggest increasing problems among some adult age groups.

Among adults ages 40–50, the percentage meeting the study’s threshold for disordered marijuana use has nearly doubled since 2017.

The researchers appropriately caution that meeting the study’s screening threshold is not the same thing as receiving a clinical diagnosis of cannabis use disorder. A diagnosis requires a more comprehensive clinical assessment.

Nevertheless, the trend deserves attention, particularly as frequent marijuana use becomes increasingly normalized.

Why might daily marijuana use become difficult to recognize as a problem?

Because marijuana-related impairment does not always look dramatic.

A person may continue working, parenting, paying bills, and maintaining relationships while still developing a problematic relationship with cannabis.

The changes can be gradual.

Someone may begin using marijuana occasionally to relax or sleep. Over time, occasional use becomes nightly use. Eventually, the person may feel unable to sleep, eat, socialize, manage anxiety, or unwind without marijuana.

This is one reason I encourage people to look beyond the question:

“Am I functioning?”

A better question may be:

“How much of my functioning now depends on marijuana?”

What does falling abstinence tell us?

Another notable finding involves adults who don’t use marijuana at all.

Among adults ages 40–50, marijuana abstinence declined from 79.2% in 2020 to 70.9% in 2025.

Among adults ages 55–65, abstinence declined from 81.5% to 77.1% during the same period.

In other words, marijuana use is becoming increasingly common well beyond young adulthood.

That matters because cannabis conversations historically focused heavily on teenagers and college students. Prevention and education efforts now also need to address middle-aged and older adults.

What should parents who use marijuana consider?

Parents deserve accurate information rather than judgment.

One important question is whether marijuana is affecting a parent’s ability to be consistently attentive, emotionally available, and responsive.

Parents should consider whether cannabis affects their reaction time, judgment, memory or ability to respond appropriately during an emergency.

There is also the issue of modeling.

Children learn not only from what parents tell them about substances but also from what they observe. When marijuana becomes part of a parent’s everyday routine, children may develop very different perceptions about its risks.

Families should also make sure marijuana products—particularly edibles—are stored securely and completely out of children’s reach.

Does marijuana affect cardiovascular health?

This is an emerging area of concern, particularly as cannabis use increases among middle-aged and older adults.

Observational research reported by the American Heart Association found that daily marijuana users had 25% higher odds of heart attack and 42% higher odds of stroke compared with nonusers.

These findings demonstrate an association rather than proving that marijuana directly caused those cardiovascular events. Still, they are clinically important enough that cannabis use should be part of conversations about cardiovascular risk.

This may be especially relevant for older adults who already have hypertension, heart disease, diabetes or other cardiovascular risk factors.

What are Delta-8, Delta-10 and HHC?

These are intoxicating cannabinoid products that have become widely available through the hemp marketplace.

The 2025 Monitoring the Future survey measured intoxicating hemp-derived THC products for the first time.

Approximately 11.4% of young adults reported using these products to get high, with prevalence reaching 13.6% among 21- and 22-year-olds.

Consumers may encounter these products in vape shops, convenience stores, smoke shops and online.

Their availability can create the impression that they are harmless alternatives to marijuana. “Hemp-derived,” however, does not necessarily mean non-intoxicating or risk-free.

How can someone tell whether their marijuana use has become a problem?

Frequency is one consideration, but it isn’t the only one.

Consider asking yourself:

Can I comfortably go several days or weeks without marijuana?

Have I tried to reduce my use and been unable to do so?

Do I need more THC than I used to in order to achieve the same effect?

Do I become irritable, anxious or unable to sleep when I stop?

Do I routinely use marijuana to manage stress, anxiety, boredom, anger or sleep?

Has marijuana affected my motivation, memory, relationships, work or responsibilities?

Do people close to me express concern about how much I use?

Do I organize activities around when I can use marijuana?

Several “yes” answers don’t automatically establish a diagnosis, but they can indicate that a more careful evaluation is warranted.

What should someone do if they think they are dependent on marijuana?

Start with an honest assessment.

People who use marijuana daily sometimes discover that stopping is more difficult than expected. Withdrawal can include irritability, anxiety, sleep disturbance, decreased appetite, restlessness and strong cravings.

Treatment does not necessarily mean residential rehabilitation.

Depending on severity, appropriate care may include an assessment with an addiction professional, individual therapy, outpatient treatment, family support, psychiatric evaluation when appropriate, and development of healthier strategies for managing anxiety, sleep and stress.

What is the bigger message from these new numbers?

The marijuana conversation in America has changed.

The issue is no longer simply whether marijuana should be legal or whether an adult should be allowed to use it occasionally.

A growing public-health question is what happens when frequent marijuana use becomes part of everyday adult life.

The latest Monitoring the Future findings show record levels of daily use among young and middle-aged adults while indicators of problematic use are also increasing in some groups.

That doesn’t mean everyone who uses marijuana will develop an addiction or experience serious consequences.

It does mean we should stop treating marijuana as though frequency, potency and patterns of use don’t matter.

The most useful conversation isn’t based on fear or stigma.

It is based on informed decisions, honest assessment, and recognition that a legal or socially accepted substance can still become problematic.

If marijuana has become something you need rather than something you occasionally choose, it may be worth taking a closer look at your relationship with it.

We’re Here to Help You and Your Teen

At R&A Therapeutic Partners, we understand the concerns of addiction in individuals and its impact on the whole family. We provide family counseling and family support, as well as effective substance abuse evaluations and treatment. Our approach includes psychotherapy and therapeutic consulting services to support you and your family.

We encourage you to contact us to learn more about the services R&A Therapeutic Partners offers. Call us at 786-963-4154 to schedule your appointment.

At R&A Therapeutic Partners, Raymond Estefania and Ana Moreno specialize in substance use and mental health disorder evaluations, treatment, intervention, and therapeutic/educational consulting for clients throughout the greater South Florida area, as well as nationally and internationally. For more resources and information please visit Therapeutic-Partners.com or Facebook.

At R&A Therapeutic Partners Raymond Estefania and Ana Moreno specialize in substance use and mental health disorder evaluations, treatment, intervention and therapeutic/educational consulting for clients throughout the greater South Florida area, as well as nationally and internationally. For more resources and information please visit Therapeutic-Partners.com or on Facebook.