Maine Unsurprisingly in the Top 10 Nationally for Weed Consumption

This just in: Maine loves weed.

Okay, this isn’t exactly a surprise. It’s a state that decriminalized marijuana as far back as 1976. It’s also a state that welcomed recreational weed stores with open arms when they became legal in 2020.

Maine is one of 24 states that allows the sale of recreational marijuana. The law, which passed in 2016, was the final step in Maine becoming a truly green-friendly state. Mainers have access to both recreational and medical marijuana across many towns, as well as laws permitting home growing. All of these factors have combined to make Maine one of the largest consumers of marijuana per capita.

So, how many Mainers have been consuming weed? Well, to put it bluntly (pun absolutely intended), a lot of Mainers are consuming weed. According to research done by Siegfried & Jensen, who used data from the 2021-2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Maine ranked 10th in the country for the percentage of adults who consume marijuana.

The study found that 27.21% of Mainers consume weed. That's quite a high (pun intended) number, considering we’re still talking about a substance that’s federally illegal.

Overall, 15 states had a consumption rate above 25%, a clear sign that the "evil" stigma surrounding marijuana has disappeared. I also think the fact that numerous states now basically smell like weed is a sure sign of that. I mean, let's be honest, there are parts of Portland that smell like a Phish concert... not that there’s anything wrong with that.

While Maine’s consumption level is high, it pales in comparison to the top state, which I bet you could guess very easily. Yes, you are correct—it’s Vermont. The Green Mountain State came in with a consumption percentage of 34.37%. That’s quite impressive.

You can see all the stats here, including the state with the least amount of marijuana use: Alabama. Way to be hip, Bama.