Cannabis use among U.S. college students as of fall 2023, by frequency

As of fall 2023, almost 12 percent of U.S. college students who had ever used cannabis had used it daily or almost daily in the past 3 months. This statistic presents the percentage of college students in the U.S. that had used marijuana during the past 3 months as of fall 2023, by frequency. 

Substance use among college students

In 2023, alcohol was the most widely used substance amongst U.S. college students, followed by cannabis and tobacco products. At that time, around 64 percent of college students reported they had drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime. Furthermore, nearly one-fourth of students reported using marijuana within the past thirty days. Unfortunately, substance use is often a maladaptive coping strategy used to deal with academic and social pressures, difficult emotions, and stress.

Substance use and mental health

Using substances can exacerbate existing mental health difficulties, as substance use and mental disorders often go-hand in hand. This is an issue of utmost importance due to the higher risk of suicide and self-harm behaviors among the college-aged population in the United States. Although over one quarter of college students receiving mental health services also felt the need to reduce their drug and alcohol use in 2023, only 1.8 percent reported actually receiving treatment for drug or alcohol use alongside their mental health treatment.