Based on the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey, the use of cannabis and hallucinogens among adults was found to remain at historically high levels in 2023. The data indicates that adults aged 19 to 30 and 35 to 50 consistently showed increased usage of these substances compared to previous years.
Conversely, cigarette smoking among both age groups has dropped to record lows. Among young adults aged 19 to 30, both monthly and daily alcohol consumption continued to decline over the past decade, with binge drinking hitting historic lows. However, in the 35-to-50-year-old demographic, binge drinking saw an increase compared to five and ten years ago.
The Monitoring the Future study, run by researchers at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and supported by the National Institutes of Health, highlighted that vaping nicotine or cannabis among adults 19 to 30 has risen over the past five years and remained at record highs in 2023. For adults aged 35 to 50, the rates of nicotine and cannabis vaping have held steady from the previous year since vaping-related questions were only added to the survey for this age group in 2019.
Notably, for the first time in 2023, women aged 19 to 30 reported higher rates of cannabis use over the past year than men in the same age group, marking a shift in the gender dynamics of substance use. On the other hand, men aged 35 to 50 still reported higher cannabis use compared to women, a trend consistent over the past decade.
Professor Megan Patrick, the principal investigator of the study, noted that alcohol remains the most commonly used substance across all age groups, followed by cannabis and nicotine. The study’s long-term trends indicate an increase in cannabis and psychedelic use among both young and midlife adults, with a rise in nicotine and cannabis vaping among young adults. While some indicators of alcohol use have increased among midlife adults, they have decreased among young adults.
Since its inception in 1975, the Monitoring the Future study has surveyed substance use behaviors and attitudes among a nationally representative sample of adolescents. The longitudinal panel aspect of the study follows a subset of these participants, about 20,000 annually, tracking their substance use behaviors from age 19 through adulthood. Data for the 2023 study were collected via online and paper surveys between April and October 2023.
Key findings from 2023 include the continued high levels of cannabis use, with 42% of adults aged 19 to 30 reporting past-year use, and 29% reporting past-month use. Daily cannabis use was reported by 10% of this age group. Among adults aged 35 to 50, 29% reported past-year use, 19% reported past-month use, and 8% reported daily use. Cannabis vaping in this younger group reached all-time highs, while nicotine vaping also remained at record levels.
Hallucinogen use also continued its upward trend, with 9% of adults aged 19 to 30 and 4% of adults aged 35 to 50 reporting use in the past year. The substances included in this category were LSD, mescaline, peyote, psilocybin (shrooms), and PCP.
Although alcohol use remains high, with 84% of adults aged 19 to 30 and adults aged 35 to 50 reporting past-year use, binge drinking among young adults has dropped significantly. In contrast, binge drinking among midlife adults has seen a slight increase over the past decade.
The survey also noted a significant decline in cigarette smoking, nonmedical use of prescription drugs, and opioid use over the past five to ten years for both age groups. While stimulant use has decreased among young adults, it has modestly increased among those aged 35 to 50 over the past decade.
The 2023 survey introduced additional demographic data, including usage patterns among college and non-college young adults, as well as various subgroups based on sex, gender, race, and ethnicity. The year also marked the first time a cohort from the survey reached the age of 65, although trends for the 55-to-65 age group are not yet available.
Professor Patrick emphasized that while the 2023 data did not show significant changes from the previous year, the long-term value of the Monitoring the Future survey lies in its ability to track these trends over time. As more cohorts enter later adulthood, the study will provide invaluable insights into substance use patterns and health outcomes throughout life.
