In this article, we are going to discuss the 30 cities with the highest weed consumption in the US.
The history of the cannabis industry is riddled with changes and conflicting legislation. The international media has played an important role in shifting perspectives about marijuana and drug use. Today, we are watching the slow and steady change of mainstream opinion to consider cannabis one of the more harmless (and probably even potentially beneficial) drugs still considered largely illegal. As perspectives change, we can expect the laws to eventually follow suit.
READ ALSO: 25 Countries with the Highest Alcohol Consumption per Capita and 20 Best Cannabis Strains for Anxiety and Stress Relief.
Cannabis Industry in the United States:
The United States of America is the country that consumes the most weed in the world. As we mentioned in our article – 20 States with the Highest Weed Consumption in the US – the American legal cannabis industry fared well in 2023 as legal sales across the 38 states that allow some form of regulated marijuana reached $28.8 billion, a 10.3% increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, the legal cannabis industry also added 22,952 new jobs last year – a sign that the national business climate has somewhat stabilized following the turmoil of the previous two years. According to the 2024 Vangst Jobs Report, there were over 440,445 jobs supported by legal cannabis nationwide as of early 2024, an increase of 5.4% from 2023. The increasing legalization of cannabis and rising acceptance of its use for medical purposes are the key factors driving the growth of the market.
Growth is also expected to come from new markets. One such example is Nebraska’s vote in favor of legalizing medical marijuana earlier this month. Even President-elect Donald Trump had recently expressed support for a ballot initiative in his home state of Florida that would have legalized the use of cannabis for adults, though that amendment failed to pass.
As of the writing of this article, 24 states have legalized recreational weed in America, in addition to the District of Columbia
Offshore Business Activities:
The United States of America is a behemoth of the global cannabis industry, so much so that even just one of its states – California – is the single largest cannabis market in the world. Americans love a good buzz and are forking over big bucks for it. This provides a huge opportunity for companies and entrepreneurs everywhere, who want the lion’s share of the sweet green ganja pie and are thus coming up with more and more innovative solutions to bring about a paradigm shift in the industry.
Large and mature consumer markets like LA and Chicago act as testing grounds for such innovators, allowing them to test their ideas before they bring them to the rest of the country and even across the border.
A great example is the New York-based Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) – a leading cannabis lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company with operations in Canada, the United States, Europe, Australia, and Latin America. It was announced in September that Tilray Medical, the industry giant’s medical cannabis division, is launching its Redecan EU-GMP-certified medical cannabis products in Australia, reaffirming its position as one of the leading global companies in the production and research of medical cannabis.
Denise Faltischek, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International, Tilray Brands, stated:
“The launch of Redecan, a premium cannabis brand, in Australia is another significant milestone for Tilray Medical, as we relentlessly pursue our vision of making high-quality medical cannabis products accessible to patients worldwide. The launch of Redecan further expands our medical cannabis portfolios alongside our current Tilray and Broken Coast offerings, as we continue our mission of empowering patients and healthcare practitioners to find the optimal therapeutic solutions.”
The company is also supporting global medical trials studying the efficacy of medical marijuana as a treatment for conditions like fibromyalgia, pediatric epilepsy, refractory pediatric epilepsy, alcohol use disorders, etc. More recently, Tilray reported positive results from a study of an oral cannabis extract for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in patients who have not responded to standard anti-nausea medications.
Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) has a highly diversified global portfolio – operating in more than 20 countries with businesses in medical adult-use cannabis, beverages, spirits, wellness products, and a vast array of consumer-connected lifestyle brands. The core business of Tilray Brands is cannabis and it is the number one cannabis business in Canada, the leading medical cannabis business across Europe, and the top branded hemp business in North America. The company has lately been very active in acquiring other industry players to expand its presence and the strategy seems to be paying off. For example, its acquisition of Redecan in June 2023 has helped it gain a strong footing in categories like pre-rolls, oils, and capsules. As a result, Redecan has now moved up to the number six position in Canada as reported by Hifyre data, and now the brand is also launching in Australia.
TLRY’s foray into the alcohol sector also seems to be bearing fruit, as its alcohol business now accounts for 28% of revenue. Overall, the company’s beverage segment, including craft beer, spirits, non-alcoholic beers, and other drinks grew 132% in net revenue YoY during the fiscal Q1 of 2025. In fact, Tilray Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:TLRY) is now included among the 20 Largest Publicly-Traded Liquor Companies in the US.
While we acknowledge the potential of TLRY as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TLRY but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
With that said, here are the Cities that Smoke the Most Weed in America.
A close-up of a package of cannabis accessories, displayed on a brightly-lit retail shelf.
Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to the 2023 Cannabis Price Index by the CFAH, looking for the Cities that Consume the Most Weed in the US. Then we referred to the US Census Bureau to find the populations of the aforementioned cities (as of July 2023) and eventually came up with our index of the American Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption per Capita. To keep our list relevant, we have only included cities with populations of 45,000 and above.
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30. Baltimore, MD
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 3.31g
Gov. Wes Moore announced in July that Maryland’s legal cannabis industry achieved $1.1 billion in total sales within its first year of the adult-use market. Recreational sales, which made up nearly three-quarters of the total, led to around $63.7 million in tax revenue for the state.
29. Miami, FL
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 3.87g
In a significant blow to America’s legal cannabis industry, Florida voters rejected a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana earlier this month. The measure, known as Amendment 3, got 55.9% support, failing to meet the required 60% threshold.
28. Durham, NC
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 4.09g
Although cannabis possession and use is still illegal in North Carolina, the tribe can pass rules related to the drug as a sovereign nation. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians began selling cannabis products at a tribe-owned dispensary this September.
27. Cleveland, OH
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 4.86g
On November 7th, 2023, Ohio became the twenty-fourth state in the United States to legalize the recreational possession and use of marijuana. The legal sales of adult-use cannabis finally started in August of this year and according to the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control, the state already surpassed $50 million in sales over its first month as a legal marketplace.
26. Detroit, MI
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 5.22g
Michigan is the state with the highest per capita sales of weed in America at $132.41, according to data provided by Headset – a cannabis market intelligence firm. However, prices are falling rapidly due to oversupply, adding to the pressures on the already strained cannabis operators.
25. Jackson, MS
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 5.37g
Medical cannabis became legal in the Magnolia State in February 2022, but the market already seems to be saturated. The main reason for this is the very limited number of customers – of Mississippi’s 2.9 million residents, only around 50,000 have a medical cannabis patient card. And they’re spending approximately $196 a month on average at dispensaries.
24. Albuquerque, NM
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 5.9g
Although plagued by a thriving black market, New Mexico’s legal cannabis industry already crossed the billion-dollar mark in March this year. As one of the Best States to be A Stoner, NM’s weed sector also receives a massive boost from the huge influx of tourists coming in from the bordering state of Texas, where recreational weed is still outlawed.
23. Boston, MA
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 6.07g
The legal marijuana industry in Massachusetts is showing signs of maturing. In five years since the first recreational dispensary in the state opened in Northampton in 2018, legal retailers have sold more than $7 billion in medical and recreational marijuana, according to data from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission.
22. Boise, ID
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 6.55g
Earlier this month, cannabis activists in the Gem State filed a ballot measure to legalize marijuana for personal use in the 2026 election. Due to Idaho’s current laws prohibiting weed, general cannabis criminal cases in the state typically number about 4,000 per year, resulting in around 1,500 convictions.
21. Seattle, WA
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 6.72g
Reaffirming the importance of the medicinal benefits of marijuana, a new law recently took effect in Washington removing the requirement for patients with a medical cannabis card to pay the 37% excise tax, reportedly the highest in the country.
With an overall cannabis consumption of 4.6 metric tons per year, Seattle is included among the Most Cannabis-Consuming Cities in America.
20. Las Vegas, NV
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 6.84g
As one of the world’s premier destinations for marijuana tourism, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Las Vegas has made it to our list of the Most Stoned Cities in America. The city’s regulated cannabis consumption lounges are a natural fit for the hospitality-driven economy of the Silver State.
19. Philadelphia, PA
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 7.54g
Cannabis is currently illegal in Pennsylvania but state lawmakers have recently filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. Analysts estimate that PA’s adult-use marijuana sales would range from $1.7 billion to $2.8 billion in the first year while bringing in $420 million to $720 million for state coffers.
18. Phoenix, AZ
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 7.62g
In a significant boost to the state’s budding legal cannabis industry, Arizona’s residents are now able to get recreational cannabis delivered to their homes. The deliveries are offered through individual dispensaries or third-party services that partner with a state-licensed dispensary to legally deliver their products.
17. New York, NY
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 8.32g
With an annual overall consumption of 62.3 metric tons, NYC is included among the Cities with the Highest Weed Consumption in the World. The Empire State is already set to hit the $1 billion mark in cannabis sales since the legal market launched around two years ago.
16. Portland, OR
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 8.74g
Portland was declared the ‘The Best Weed City’ in 2023, according to a study by Real Estate Witch and Leafly. Due to severe oversupply issues, cannabis prices have been reduced by more than half since adult-use marijuana became legal in Oregon back in 2015.
With a 21.84% prevalence of marijuana use among its residents aged 12 or older, Oregon is placed among the Most Stoned States in America.
15. Houston, TX
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 8.81g
Recreational use of marijuana is illegal in Texas, though in several cities and counties, small amounts have been decriminalized. It was announced this week that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued the city of Dallas over its recent decision to decriminalize cannabis, weeks after 67% of the city’s voters approved Proposition R, also known as the ‘Dallas Freedom Act’.
14. Kansas City, KS
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 10.09g
Kansas remains among the handful of states that haven’t legalized cannabis in medical or adult-use form. According to a recent survey by Fort Hays State University’s Docking Institute of Public Affairs, about 61% of Kansans either strongly or somewhat supported the legalization of recreational marijuana while around 22% were opposed. The support was even higher for the legalization of medical cannabis.
13. Los Angeles, CA
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 10.1g
California is considered the state with the best weed in America in 2024. We reached this conclusion after extensively researching people’s experience with weeds in different states on Reddit and Cali stood out. However, the black market continues to be a serious problem and since January 2024, law enforcement agencies have seized more than $191 million worth of illegal cannabis in operations across the Golden State.
12. Chicago, IL
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 10.3g
Illinois’ legal marijuana industry celebrated some major milestones this year, including the opening of its 100th social equity cannabis dispensary and surpassing $1 billion in sales. The city of Chicago raked in around $4.35 million from cannabis taxes in fiscal year 2024, which ended on June 30th.
11. Denver, CO
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 10.46g
Denver, the first city in America where adult-use cannabis retailers opened up in 2014, was named the ‘Weed Capital of the US’ in 2024. Denver is also included among the Cities with the Most Dispensaries per Capita, with 10.4 weed dispensaries per 100,000 residents.
10. Lincoln, NE
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 13.83g
Over 70% of Nebraskans voted to legalize medical marijuana in the state earlier this month, but there are still concerns as a judge in Lincoln has taken a lawsuit from the state under advisement. The lawsuit questions several signatures submitted in the petition drive.
9. Lake Charles, LA
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 13.84g
Adult-use weed is illegal in the state of Louisiana, though medical cannabis has been legalized for many years now. Nearly 40,000 Louisianans are registered with the state to access medicinal marijuana products.
8. Kyle, TX
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 15.86g
Although recreational weed is outlawed in the Lone Star State, huge quantities of illegal buds make their way across the border from Mexico and still go for about the same price as 25 years ago.
With an annual per capita consumption of 15.86 grams, Kyle is one of the Top 10 Weed-Smoking Cities in the US.
7. Waterloo, IA
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 16.55g
Cannabis is illegal for recreational use in Iowa, so a large number of Iowans have to regularly flock to nearby states that have legalized adult-use cannabis, such as Illinois. The state has recently introduced new regulations that restrict the potency of consumable hemp products that contain THC to 4 mg per serving, or 10 mg per container.
6. Johnson City, TN
Annual Weed Consumption per Capita: 18.03g
The state of Tennessee has developed a budding hemp retail industry since the 2018 federal farm bill broadly legalized hemp-derived cannabinoid products. However, the future of the industry is now uncertain after the state’s Department of Agriculture recently issued tighter regulations surrounding the sale of the cannabis plant, including popular THCA-based products.
