For the cannabis industry, the only constant is change. Cannabis regulations, laws, sentiment, technology, and business practices evolve each year—meaning there’s a long list of new data and insights to unpack.

To paint a clear picture of the cannabis industry, we scoured the internet to find the most important and relevant statistics for 2026. In this report, you’ll see use statistics, the national sentiment around Cannabis acceptance/accessibility, market growth, employment trends, and legal facts.

Let’s dive into the findings.

Key Findings:

• In 2025, the President signed an executive order to reschedule cannabis.
• 47% of Americans have tried cannabis.
• 79% of Americans live in a county with at least one dispensary.
• 425,002 full-time equivalent jobs supported by legal cannabis.
• The US cannabis industry is expected to reach almost $47 billion in 2026.
• More than 1 in 3 women over 21 consume cannabis.
• 25% of all cannabis sales now happen online.
• Cannabis added approximately $149 billion to the economy in 2025.
• Adult-use cannabis is now legal in 24 states.
• 64% use cannabis for relaxation purposes.
• Support for legalizing cannabis is 87%.
• Cannabis tax revenue is $25 billion, nearly double that of alcohol.

Cannabis Usage Statistics

15% of Americans identified as “current users”

The most recent data from Gallup (combined from 2023 and 2024) shows that 15% of Americans are active users, which is up slightly (from 14% in 2021-2022).

Similarly, according to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 22.3% of people age 12+ reported using cannabis in the past year. This accounts for 64.2M people. While use has been on the rise, both of these sources suggest a slowdown in that trend. Both sources report minimal change since 2022.

Nearly half of Americans have tried cannabis

According to Gallup, 47% of Americans say they have tried at some time. This represents a significant increase from the first time Gallup asked the question in 1969, when only 4% of Americans reported having tried it.

All consumers still prefer flower and pre-rolls

According to BDSA’s retail sales tracking, flower and pre-rolled are the only major categories gaining dollar sales compared to a year ago (3.8% and 3.4%, respectively). And while their forecast through 2029 shows growth in most categories, the primary are still flower, vape, pre-rolled, and edibles.

US Cannabis Market in 2026

ATB Capital Markets sees brighter days for US cannabis multi-state operators (MSOs) in 2026. Its 2026 Life Sciences Outlook, shared with INN, ATB forecasts 4 percent MSO revenue growth in 2026, with mergers and acquisitions potentially providing a further boost in the second half of the year.

Valuations are expected to be higher due to many challenges already being accounted for, such as potential regulatory changes, decreased competition, new store openings and continued market expansion. The baseline projects a 4 percent CAGR to US$38.5 billion by 2030, excluding further reform.

US regulated sales could reach US$32.8 billion in 2026, up 5.2 percent from an estimated US$31.1 billion in 2025, accelerating to around 8.9 percent by 2027, driven in part by the upcoming federal ban on intoxicating hemp-derived THC products intended to curb unregulated competition and offset declines in mature markets.

According to ATB, New York stands out as a growth powerhouse, with store expansions finally gaining traction, robust sales momentum and the legal market steadily reclaiming market share from illicit and hemp competitors. Virginia presents a smaller but reliable opportunity, banking on adult-use sales launching in 2026 to steadily build a new revenue stream for entrenched operators.

Florida’s vast medical market grapples with pricing pressures after a failed 2024 recreational ballot, yet a successful 2026 push could unlock transformative upside. Medical sales in Pennsylvania, meanwhile, are inching forward, with players holding back major investments until adult-use legalization breaks the political logjam.

Companies still carry heavy debt and tax problems, but they’ve mostly refinanced to push big 2026 debt payments further out, reducing short-term bankruptcy risk. Top players trade at cheap multiples compared to ATB’s fair value estimate, setting them up for price jumps once regulatory wins hit.

Canadian Cannabis Market in 2026

Despite extreme volatility and fragmentation in 2025, ATB research on Canadian cannabis shows industry fundamentals are finally stabilizing, with 2026 shaping up to be a true stock picker’s market.

The research firm notes that independents are struggling, with Canna Cabana and Value Buds holding high single- to low double-digit market shares. This trend supports margin expansion through new store openings and healthy same-store sales growth in a fragmenting licensed producer market.

Domestic cannabis prices are firming, with the flower and pre-roll categories seeing sustained year-on-year increases for most of 2025, supporting improving margins for operators. Domestic recreational sales project a 5.6 percent CAGR to around C$7.83 billion by 2031, aided by illicit market conversion.

International medical sales have emerged as the key growth engine, estimated at C$4 billion and poised to surpass Canada’s total addressable market in two to three years. Canada remains the world’s primary supplier to Germany and other fast-growing markets.