Edible Cannabis Use Surges 35% After Recreational Legalization | Research

The takeaway

After recreational cannabis legalization, the likelihood of using edible/drinkable cannabis increased by 35% compared to smoking and 33% compared to vaping, with the biggest shifts among males and middle-aged/older adults.

Cannabis regulators, poison control centers, public health educators, cannabis retailers, and healthcare providers counseling patients.

What the researchers found

Post-legalization, the likelihood of eating/drinking cannabis vs. smoking increased by 35% (aRRR=1.35, 95% CI=1.20-1.52) and vs. vaping by 33% (aRRR=1.33, 95% CI=1.14-1.55), with similar patterns after retail sales began, and larger increases among males and middle-aged/older adults.

Why it matters

Edibles present unique risks including delayed onset, overconsumption, and accidental ingestion by children — making this shift in consumption patterns a critical public health signal as legalization expands.

The numbers in context

N=69,109 cannabis users; 37 states; 2017-2023; smoking declined but remained dominant (62.7% in 2023); edibles 21.5%; vaping 15.8%; edible vs smoking aRRR=1.35; edible vs vaping aRRR=1.33; larger effects among males and older adults

How the study worked

Multinomial logit regression analysis of 69,109 adults reporting past-month cannabis use from 37 states in the 2017-2023 BRFSS, linked to recreational cannabis legalization and retail sales data, with state/year fixed effects.

What this study cannot tell us

BRFSS measures primary mode only (not all modes used); self-report; cannot distinguish product types within edibles; state-level variation; cannot separate legalization from commercialization and product availability effects.

How to read the evidence

Large nationally representative sample of cannabis users with quasi-experimental design and consistent findings across legalization and retail sales analyses.

When this study was published

Published 2026; covers 2017-2023 across 37 US states.

The bigger picture

The shift toward edibles represents a fundamental change in how Americans consume cannabis, with implications for poisoning risks, dosing education, product regulation, and healthcare provider counseling.

Questions still open

Does the edible shift reduce smoking-related harms? Are edible-related ER visits increasing proportionally? Do older adults choosing edibles face unique dosing risks?

Common questions

Are more people eating cannabis after legalization?

Yes — after recreational legalization, the likelihood of using edible/drinkable cannabis increased by 35% compared to smoking. By 2023, edibles were the primary method for about 1 in 5 cannabis users.

What are the risks of edible cannabis?

Edibles have delayed onset (30-90 minutes), making overconsumption easy, and are often in forms attractive to children. The shift toward edibles after legalization means public health education about proper dosing and safe storage is increasingly important.

Read the original research

Increasing use of cannabis edibles in response to recreational cannabis legalization in the United States.

Preventive medicine, 204, 108508

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Hawkins, Summer Sherburne; Baidoo, Christopher E; Coley, Rebekah Levine; Centanni, Ryan S; Baum, Christopher F. (2026). Increasing use of cannabis edibles in response to recreational cannabis legalization in the United States.. Preventive medicine, 204, 108508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2026.108508