Best Life
This Is the Most Stoned State in America, According to Data
It’s 4/20 today, so what better time to look at the ever-changing legal status of marijuana in the United States? Though it’s been a gradual process over decades, the shift of cannabis use—for either medicinal or recreational purposes—from counterculture to the mainstream seems to have sped up overnight. In fact, after the election results came in at the end of 2020, the recreational use of marijuana was officially legal in 14 states. And now, in 2021 that number is up to 17, with New York, New Mexico, and Virginia all legalizing recreational use in recent weeks—and more are expected to do the same this year. Not to mention, there are only three states in the U.S. where it is still neither legal recreationally nor offered medicinally.In addition to the continued legalization of marijuana, on Dec. 4, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a landmark bill decriminalizing marijuana on the federal level, CNN reported. The MORE Act (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement), which will now move to the Senate, would eliminate criminal penalties for those who manufacture, distribute, or possess marijuana. It would also seek to remove prior marijuana-related convictions and use tax dollars to invest in job training and other programs to aid those who have been convicted of such crimes. So, with the House’s passing of the MORE Act, more states choosing to legalize marijuana, and the cannabis business booming, we at Best Life set out to determine the most stoned state in America.First, we looked at the legal status of cannabis both medicinally and recreationally* as of April 2021, based on official state laws gathered by workplace safety and compliance specialists DISA Global Solutions. Then, we collected the percentage of adults in each state who say they’ve used cannabis within the last year, according to Statista. We used that data plus the most recent population data from the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate the number of cannabis users per 100,000 residents in each state. Finally, we examined the National Cannabis Industry Association’s sales projections for 2022 in both the recreational and medical marijuana markets, which were made using current data and financial analytics.We then gave all metrics a weighted value and ran them through our exclusive algorithm to see how each state scored on our 100-point scale Stoned Index, where 0 is the least stoned and 100 is the most. (You’ll see “N/A” noted in any instances where data either didn’t apply or was not currently available, which we factored into how each metric was weighted.)While you may predict the most stoned state in America to be California, you’d be off. The Golden State did rank highly on the list, but quite a few other states ranked higher. The top 10, in fact, contain states from all over the U.S., from the Pacific Northwest to New England to the Southwest to one non-contiguous state, too. Read on to discover the most stoned state in the country and find out where yours falls in the mix. And to learn where people enjoy a different kind of substance, This Is the Drunkest State in America, According to Data.*In instances where a state officially passed a bill to legalize recreational use, but the law had yet to go into effect as of the date this article was published (like Virginia, for example), we considered recreational use to be legal. 50 Texas Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 11,2102022 projected medicinal sales: $156 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $540,076Stoned Index Score: 0.04 49 Nebraska Medicinal use: NoRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,7002022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 2.58 48 Iowa Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,6102022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 3.01 47 Alabama Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,8202022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 3.54 46 Utah Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 11,1602022 projected medicinal sales: $17.2 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $536,501Stoned Index Score: 3.86 45 North Carolina Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,9602022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 3.89 44 Kentucky Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,0002022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 3.99 43 Wyoming Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,1402022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 4.35 42 Tennessee Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,2402022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 4.60 41 Kansas Medicinal use: NoRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,9302022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 5.69 40 Idaho Medicinal use: NoRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,9602022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 5.77 39 Georgia Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,7102022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 5.79 38 Wisconsin Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,7702022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 5.94 37 South Carolina Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,8202022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 6.07 36 Louisiana Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,5402022 projected medicinal sales: $44 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $946,482Stoned Index Score: 7.80 35 Mississippi Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 11,6702022 projected medicinal sales: $101 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $3.4 millionStoned Index Score: 8.23 34 Oklahoma Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,1502022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 8.32 33 North Dakota Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,1702022 projected medicinal sales: $36 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $4.7 millionStoned Index Score: 10.93 32 Indiana Medicinal use: CBD or low-level THC onlyRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 15,8902022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 11.32 31 Missouri Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 14,8202022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 12.55 30 Ohio Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,9602022 projected medicinal sales: $298 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $2.5 millionStoned Index Score: 13.12 29 West Virginia Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 14,6502022 projected medicinal sales: $36 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $2.0 millionStoned Index Score: 14.29 28 Virginia Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,0502022 projected medicinal sales: $17.2 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $201,510Stoned Index Score: 14.30 27 Arkansas Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 13,6102022 projected medicinal sales: $139 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $4.6 millionStoned Index Score: 14.45 26 South Dakota Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,2602022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: N/AStoned Index Score: 14.62 25 Pennsylvania Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 14,4702022 projected medicinal sales: $363 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $2.8 millionStoned Index Score: 14.72 24 Minnesota Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 15,9002022 projected medicinal sales: $101 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $1.8 millionStoned Index Score: 17.22 23 New Jersey Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 12,4202022 projected medicinal sales: $284 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $3.2 millionStoned Index Score: 18.47 22 Florida Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 14,4502022 projected medicinal sales: $1.7 billion2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $7.9 millionStoned Index Score: 20.15And to find out another substance people enjoy, This Is the Most Popular Beer in America, According to Data. 21 Maryland Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 14,8102022 projected medicinal sales: $139 million2022 projected recreational sales: $289 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $7.1 millionStoned Index Score: 20.16 20 Hawaii Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 14,5602022 projected medicinal sales: $120 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $8.5 millionStoned Index Score: 21.03 19 New York Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 15,5302022 projected medicinal sales: $504 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $2.6 millionStoned Index Score: 25.70And for the beverage people closest to you love the most, check out The Most Popular Cocktail in Your State, According to Data. 18 Illinois Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 15,4102022 projected medicinal sales: $400 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $3.2 millionStoned Index Score: 26.00 17 Delaware Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 17,4002022 projected medicinal sales: $12 million2022 projected recreational sales: $67 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $8.1 millionStoned Index Score: 27.84 16 Connecticut Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 18,6802022 projected medicinal sales: $103 million2022 projected recreational sales: $99 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $5.7 millionStoned Index Score: 28.44 15 New Hampshire Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 20,8902022 projected medicinal sales: $36 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $2.7 millionStoned Index Score: 30.79 14 Arizona Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 17,2002022 projected medicinal sales: $948 million2022 projected recreational sales: $243 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $16.4 millionStoned Index Score: 44.78 13 New Mexico Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 18,9902022 projected medicinal sales: $275 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $13.1 millionStoned Index Score: 45.81 12 Michigan Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 18,9102022 projected medicinal sales: $698 million2022 projected recreational sales: $663 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $13.6 millionStoned Index Score: 46.16 11 Rhode Island Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: NoAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 21,2102022 projected medicinal sales: $69 million2022 projected recreational sales: $122 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $18 millionStoned Index Score: 48.18 10 Montana Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 20,0702022 projected medicinal sales: $148 million2022 projected recreational sales: N/A2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $13.1 millionStoned Index Score: 49.34 9 California Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 18,8902022 projected medicinal sales: $133 million2022 projected recreational sales: $7.6 billion2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $19.6 millionStoned Index Score: 52.52And for more exclusive state and city rankings delivered to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. 8 Massachusetts Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 20,8702022 projected medicinal sales: $113 million2022 projected recreational sales: $1.1 billion2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $17.6 millionStoned Index Score: 55.41 7 Alaska Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 24,5202022 projected medicinal sales: $3 million2022 projected recreational sales: $119 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $16.7 millionStoned Index Score: 63.66 6 Nevada Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 22,6102022 projected medicinal sales: $38 million2022 projected recreational sales: $615 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $21.2 millionStoned Index Score: 63.70 5 Washington Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 24,1802022 projected medicinal sales: N/A2022 projected recreational sales: $1.5 billion2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $19.7 millionStoned Index Score: 66.06 4 Maine Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 25,5302022 projected medicinal sales: $28 million2022 projected recreational sales: $237 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $19.7 millionStoned Index Score: 66.96 3 Vermont Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 25,7102022 projected medicinal sales: $44 million2022 projected recreational sales: $64 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $17.3 millionStoned Index Score: 67.36 2 Oregon Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 28,5602022 projected medicinal sales: $59 million2022 projected recreational sales: $848 million2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $21.5 millionStoned Index Score: 79.10 1 Colorado Medicinal use: YesRecreational use: YesAdult cannabis users per 100,000 people: 27,7072022 projected medicinal sales: $360 million2022 projected recreational sales: $2.1 billion2022 projected total sales per 100,000 people: $42.7 millionStoned Index Score: 99.97And to learn which part of the U.S. is the most active between the sheets, This Is the Most Promiscuous State in America, According to Data.
