Massachusetts Cannabis Use Surges, New Study Finds

A new study by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission finds that 37 percent (roughly 2.59 million) of Commonwealth residents reported using cannabis in the past year. Fourteen percent (roughly 980,000) reported daily or nearly daily cannabis use.

That's enough loose joint sales to feather a nice retirement nest egg if people were still relying on their neighborhood dealer to score smoke.

Where People Are Getting Their Cannabis

Times have changed, though, and with cannabis stores seemingly on every other street corner, most folks (61 percent) prefer shopping at pot shops instead of the dealer (24 percent).

Fifty-six percent prefer scoring cannabis from a "family member or friend."

Most Popular Cannabis Products in Massachusetts

So what about preferences?

The CCC said, "Participants report most frequently consuming cannabis products in the form of 'Flower,' (74 percent), 'Edibles' (72 percent), and 'Oils, Vaporized' (40 percent)."

Cannabis Use and Public Safety Concerns

The CCC study found that 13 percent reported using cannabis products at or before work in the past 30 days, while 14 percent of participants who used cannabis in the last 12 months reported driving after using cannabis.

The CCC found that 78 percent of participants expressed support for "legal adult-use cannabis."

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Once legal, cannabis was taxed in the United States in 1937 as a way to discourage its use. Laws enacted in 1952 and 1970 outlawed the use, possession, and dealing of cannabis. At the end of the last century, multiple states, including Massachusetts, began to decriminalize the drug.

New Bedford's first cannabis retail store opened in February 2023.

The CCC study indicated that five percent of participants reported a "previous cannabis-related arrest," while nine percent reported "seeking medical services to treat adverse health effects following cannabis consumption."

Could Marijuana Laws Change Again?

Massachusetts voters could face a ballot initiative this fall to repeal the law that decriminalized marijuana.