Trends in Daily Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder Among Parents in the U.S., 2012-2023

Objective: To determine the prevalence and trends in routine cannabis use among U.S. parents of children <18. An increase in cannabis use among parents could be important because cannabis has been linked to parenting quality in cross-sectional studies. Method: Analyzed 2012-2023 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual representative survey of U.S. residents aged ≥12. We estimated the prevalence of cannabis use outcomes in parents vs. non-parents and tested whether trends in cannabis use outcomes among parents vs. non-parents differed. Results: In 2023, 7.8% of parents used cannabis on the majority of days, 4.9% of parents used cannabis daily, and 5.7% of parents met DSM-5 criteria for CUD. Since 2012, daily cannabis use has increased a nearly identical amount in parents vs. non-parents. Four times as many parents used cannabis daily in 2023 vs. 2012, and the rate of CUD among parents has increased 1.3x since 2020 (when first measured). Significant increases have occurred in parents across sociodemographic groups, but are largest in parents who are younger, unmarried, lower income, and have less than a BA. Conclusions: Daily cannabis use among parents went from quite rare in 2012 (1 in 80 parents) to fairly common in 2023 (1 in 20 parents). Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest ≥5.7 million children in the U.S. now live with a parent who uses cannabis on the majority of days. Determining how cannabis use affects parenting is therefore an important public health question.