Part 2: North America Dominates – USA & Canada Lead in Total Consumption

The United States remains the planet’s largest cannabis consumer by a mile. With ~61.5 million adults reporting past-year use (around 23% of adults) and past-month numbers near 44 million, America’s market dwarfs everyone else. Legal sales hit ~$30+ billion in 2025, but the total consumed (including gray/black market) is far higher. High-THC flower, edibles, vapes, and dabs dominate, with smoking still king at ~79% of users.

Canada punches way above its weight per capita (~27-33% prevalence in recent data) thanks to full recreational legalization since 2018. With a smaller population, total users are still massive relative to size—legal sales steady around CAD $4-5 billion annually, with edibles and extracts surging.

Together, these two nations account for a huge chunk of global regulated consumption and set trends that the rest of the world follows. Legal access, product innovation, and cultural normalization keep usage climbing, especially among younger adults and medical patients.