Cannabis Industry Statistics

Cannabis Industry Statistics

As cannabis has become more available throughout the country, demand and sales have only grown. Here are some key statistics that highlight cannabis’s growing popularity:

• 79% of Americans live in a county where one or more dispensaries are available (Flowhub)

• 25% of cannabis sales are made online (Flowhub)

• In 2025, cannabis contributed $149 billion to the U.S. economy (Flowhub)

• Pre-roll sales were more than $4.1 billion from June 2023 to June 2024 (Flowhub)

• 394 million units of pre-rolls were sold from June 2023 to June 2024 (Flowhub)

Cannabis Consumer Statistics

Consumer behavior and preferences relating to cannabis have slowly evolved, as seen in these statistics:

(PEW Research)

• When being given the choice of consuming alcohol or cannabis, 62% of people chose cannabis (Flowhub)

• 45% of people who use cannabis will choose products based on their upcoming activities (New Frontier Data)

• When taking a look at how cannabis was consumed, 74% of people reported smoking it (Flowhub)

• More than 1 in 3 women report using cannabis (Flowhub)

• 47% of Americans have reported consuming cannabis, while in 1969 only 4% of people reported using it (Flowhub)

Cannabis Statistics by State

⚠️ The laws surrounding cannabis vary by state, so here is an overview of what the landscape looks like::

• Medical marijuana is legal in 42 states and the District of Columbia (MJBizDaily)

• Marijuana intended for recreational use is legal in 24 states (MJBizDaily)

• Washington and Colorado were the first states to legalize recreational marijuana (MJBizDaily)

• Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana in 2016 (MJBizDaily)

Recent state-level sales:

(CRB Monitor)

• Currently, more than 500 dispensaries are available in New York State (CRB Monitor)
• In one month, Minnesota received 1,322 applications for cannabis microbusinesses (CRB Monitor)

Medical Marijuana and Health Benefits Statistics

Marijuana offers a wide range of benefits, which is why the use of medical marijuana is widely practiced. Here are some statistics on the health benefits of cannabis:

• In a survey of 510 veterans, 91% said that medical cannabis contributed to a greater quality of life, and the same study documented that veterans reduced the use of prescription medication with the help of cannabis (Clinical Therapeutics)
• A study focused on patients over the age of 50 discovered that 90% of patients consumed medical cannabis for chronic pain and arthritis (National Library of Medicine)
• The same study found that over the course of 6 months improvements were documented in pain, sleep, and quality of life (National Library of Medicine)
• When looking at the top reason why people consumer cannabis:
  • ✅ 64% use it for relaxation
  • ✅ 59% use it for stress relief
  • ✅ 52% use it to reduce anxiety8% use it for pain management
  • ✅ 48% use it for pain management
  • ✅ 45% use it for help falling asleep (New Frontier Data)
• Beyond these top reasons people consume cannabis, consumers also reported:
• ✅ 14% of cannabis consumers like to work out after using cannabis (New Frontier Data)
• ✅ 47% of individuals use cannabis to help sore muscles (New Frontier Data)
• ✅ 33% of individuals reported using cannabis to promote a faster recovery after working out (New Frontier Data)
• ✅ A study in 2024 reported that the use of cannabis reduced suicidal thoughts in patients over a three month period (NORML)

Cannabis Job Demand Statistics

As new businesses are opening, and the cannabis market continues to experience success, more jobs are being created. Here is an overview on what the job demand looks like in the cannabis industry:

• The U.S. cannabis industry produced 425,002 jobs in 2024 (Vangst)
• From 2021 to 2022, there was a 33% increase cannabis jobs (Vangst)
• As of January 2025, California offered the most jobs in the cannabis industry, totaling 74,623 (Vangst)
• At the beginning of 2025, Pennsylvania offered 25,000 medical cannabis jobs (Vangst)

How We Stay Up to Date on the Latest Cannabis Trends

Pennsylvania Institute of Technology offers a comprehensive program where students can gain their Bachelor of Science in Cannabis Business. Within this program, we educate students on the latest cannabis research so they can be prepared for future careers in the industry.

Our program helps students acquire the skills needed to be successful in areas like dispensary management and business fields related to cannabis, such as business administration, agribusiness marketing, the cannabis supply chain, and more. Students also learn the scientific side of cannabis, helping prepare them for medical cannabis roles as well.

💡  The Bottom Line As the cannabis industry continues to grow, P.I.T. will be proactive in incorporating the latest research and trends into our Bachelor of Science in cannabis business program.