Cannabis Use in Mexico Is Higher in Wealthier Municipalities | Research

The takeaway

Recreational cannabis use in Mexico was more common in municipalities with higher income and education levels, and this gap widened between 2016 and 2023.

Policy analysts, public health researchers, and those interested in international cannabis use patterns.

What the researchers found

Each unit increase in municipal education was associated with a 2.9% increase in recreational cannabis use prevalence in 2023 (up from 1.5% in 2016-17), while each unit increase in municipal income was associated with a 1.8% increase (up from 1.5%).

Why it matters

As Mexico considers cannabis legalization, understanding who currently uses cannabis helps anticipate how policy changes might play out. The concentration of use in wealthier areas contrasts with patterns seen in some other countries and has implications for equitable regulation.

The numbers in context

Municipal education: 1.5% prevalence increase per unit in 2016-17, 2.9% in 2023. Municipal income: 1.5% per unit in 2016-17, 1.8% in 2023. No significant effect modification by sex or age except for 20-29 year-olds vs. 12-19 year-olds.

How the study worked

Poisson regression models with robust variance analyzed data from two nationally representative Mexican surveys (2016-17 and 2023), linked with census-level municipal socioeconomic indicators.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional surveys cannot track individuals over time. Municipal-level data may mask neighborhood variation. Self-reported use likely underestimates true prevalence. Different survey instruments were used in 2016-17 vs. 2023.

How to read the evidence

Nationally representative data with census-linked socioeconomic measures, but cross-sectional design and ecological-level exposure limit causal interpretation.

When this study was published

Published 2025, using 2016-17 and 2023 survey data from Mexico.

The bigger picture

In many high-income countries, cannabis use has shifted toward higher socioeconomic groups over time. Mexico appears to follow a similar pattern. If legalization proceeds, monitoring whether commercialization changes this distribution will be important for equity-focused regulation.

Questions still open

Whether legalization in Mexico would shift cannabis use patterns toward lower-income areas as commercial availability increases
What drives the association between municipal advantage and cannabis use in the Mexican context

Common questions

Is this pattern unique to Mexico?

Not entirely. Several high-income countries have seen cannabis use concentrate among higher socioeconomic groups, though the specific dynamics in Mexico reflect its own regulatory and cultural context.

Could legalization change this pattern?

Possibly. In some U.S. states, commercial availability has changed who uses cannabis. The researchers suggest monitoring this closely if Mexico legalizes.

Read the original research

Municipal socioeconomic environment and recreational cannabis use in Mexico: Analysis of two nationally representative surveys.

The International journal on drug policy, 136, 104704

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Sánchez-Pájaro, Andrés; Pérez-Ferrer, Carolina; Barrera-Núñez, David A; Cerdá, Magdalena; Thrasher, James F; Barrientos-Gutiérrez, Tonatiuh. (2025). Municipal socioeconomic environment and recreational cannabis use in Mexico: Analysis of two nationally representative surveys.. The International journal on drug policy, 136, 104704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104704