10 States with the Highest Marijuana Use

A closeup view of marijuana as photographed on August 30, 2014 in Bethpage, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Around 7% of the 18-and-over population in the U.S. uses marijuana. Well, they fall into the category of those who have used the substance over the past month at least. But, in some states, use is much higher than that 7% nationwide rate.

Based on the most recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the most recent Census population data, these 10 states have the highest marijuana use per capita among the 18-and-older population:

1. Alaska: 68,000 people over 18 have used marijuana during the past month. This represents about 13.01% of the Alaska population.
2. Rhode Island: 107,000 people over 18 have used marijuana during the past month. This represents about 12.91% of the Rhode Island population.
3. Vermont: With 64,000 adult users during the past month, 12.89% of the population can be called marijuana users.
4. Oregon: With a large marijuana-using population —  370,000 — this represents 12.48% of Oregon’s adult population.
5. District of Columbia: There are around 53,000 marijuana users over the age of 18 in D.C., which makes for a percentage of 10.58%.
6. Montana: Montana has right around the same adult use percentage as D.C., but the state has 81,000 adult users.
7. Colorado: With just under 400,000 adult users, 10.49% of the adult population uses marijuana.
8. Washington: There are 532,000 adult users in Washington, which makes for a 10.34% use rate.
9. Massachusetts: With 475,000 adult users, around 9.26% of the adult population uses marijuana in this northeastern state.
10. California: With more than 2.5 million users, one would think that California would have the highest use rate. But, the state comes in at number 10, with a 9.15% use rate.

(Hover over the map to see data for individual states.)

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