Key Takeways
Gen Z is drinking far less than the generations before them, but they haven’t ditched vices entirely.
Pot, grass, green, skunk, herb, Mary Jane, or whatever the youth calls it these days… The name may change, but the habit persists. Does Gen Z smoke more weed than past generations? Not yet, but cannabis statistics do show that Gen Z cannabis use is only getting higher and is on track to overtake millennials within a few years.
EduBirdie surveyed 2,000 Gen Zers on the extent of their cannabis use, how it affects them, and whether the social stigma surrounding weed still lingers.
How many people use cannabis among Gen Zers? More than two-thirds smoke, but it isn’t yet a generational habit. Some 28% wake and bake, getting high every day without fail, while 18% do it a few times a week.
However, 13% keep it strictly casual, lighting up only on special occasions, and 6% have only tried it once.
For every toke, Gen Z’s wallets are taking a hit, too. Most users (27%) spend between $50 and $100 a month, while another 21% stretch their weed budget to $200, and 3% drop $500 every month on getting high.
During high-pressure moments, many Gen Zers turn to cannabis to take the edge off – 39% say they’ve smoked before a date, 27% before an exam, and 25% before a job interview.
But weed isn’t strictly reserved for stressful situations, with 48% admitting they got high before a family event.
For many Gen Zers, weed has become part of the daily grind, with 35% smoking while working from home, 17% rolling up at work, and 12% taking hits between lectures at college.
For many Gen Zers, the uses of cannabis are less recreational and more functional – 53% say it relieves stress, 29% say it’s a creative aid, and 22% insist it improves their performance.
However, not every high hits good, with 16% admitting it makes them anxious and 14% saying it makes them forgetful.
For 54%, cannabis hasn’t been a gateway to a life of trouble, but many have suffered due to their use of the drug: 17% say they’ve spent money they didn’t have, 15% have fallen out with family, and 12% have seen their physical or mental health decline.
And it isn’t just the user who feels the impact, but those nearest and dearest to them. Some 18% say someone else’s cannabis use strained a friendship or relationship, while 13% say it made sharing a living space untenable.
“It’s a gateway to harder drugs,” “It messes up your mental health,” “It makes you lazy and paranoid”… There’s long been a stigma surrounding cannabis. And while cannabis in the United States is now largely legal, many still prefer to keep it discreet.
Some 42% of Gen Zers are open about their use. However, 13% hide it from their partner or family, 12% from co-workers, and 10% from friends.
If it’s not green, Gen Z isn’t interested. According to 41% of Gen Zers, cannabis is more accepted than tobacco in their social circle… because why would you smoke, with all of the health risks, if it doesn’t even come with a high?
When it comes to Gen Z cannabis use vs alcohol, things get a little more hazy. While 28% say cannabis is more accepted in their circle, and 21% of friend groups prefer to dabble in alcohol, 33% say both are Gen Z-approved.
Alcohol may no longer be young people’s go-to vice, but as “chug, chug, chug” fades, “puff, puff, pass” is taking its place.
