Kentucky Cannabis Use Was Lower Than the National Average Despite Being Illegal
About 10% of Kentucky adults used cannabis in 2020-2021, below the national average of 13%, but 42% of those users consumed it daily or near-daily, and most cited medical reasons.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Kentucky's cannabis use prevalence (10%) was lower than the national average (~13%). Among users, 42% used daily or near-daily. About 43% used cannabis for both medical and recreational reasons, 24% for medical only, and 33% for recreation only. Smoking was the dominant mode of use (78%).
Key Numbers
10% current use in Kentucky vs ~13% nationally. 42% of users consumed daily or near-daily. 78% smoked cannabis. 43% used for both medical and recreational reasons. Male, 18-34 age group, never married, Black, lower education, lower income, and Central region residents were more likely to use.
How They Did This
Analysis of pooled 2020-2021 Kentucky Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data using weighted responses. Multivariable logistic regression identified characteristics associated with cannabis use across three geographic regions.
Why This Research Matters
Kentucky was preparing for legal medical marijuana in 2025. This baseline snapshot of use patterns before the legal market opens provides critical data for tracking how legalization changes behavior, particularly the high rate of daily use and medical motivation.
The Bigger Picture
The finding that two-thirds of Kentucky cannabis users cited medical reasons (alone or combined with recreation) in a state where it was illegal supports the argument that medical cannabis programs formalize already-existing use patterns rather than creating new ones.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
BRFSS is telephone-based and may miss certain populations. Self-reported cannabis use in a state where it was illegal may be underreported. Two years of data provides limited trend information. The three-region geographic analysis may mask within-region variation.
Questions This Raises
- ?How will Kentucky's cannabis use patterns change after the medical market opens in 2025?
- ?Will daily use rates increase, decrease, or shift to different modes?
- ?Will the medical-recreational motivation breakdown change?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 42% of Kentucky cannabis users consumed daily or near-daily
- Evidence Grade:
- Population-based survey using established BRFSS methodology, though limited to two years and subject to self-report bias in an illegal-use context.
- Study Age:
- 2024 study using 2020-2021 data
- Original Title:
- Population-based cross-sectional analysis of cannabis use among Kentucky adults, 2020-21.
- Published In:
- Journal of cannabis research, 6(1), 44 (2024)
- Authors:
- Shafer, Sydney, Kennedy, Gunnar, Christian, W Jay
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05699
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How common was cannabis use in Kentucky before legalization?
About 10% of Kentucky adults reported using cannabis in 2020-2021, somewhat below the national average of 13%.
Why were Kentucky residents using cannabis?
43% used for both medical and recreational reasons, 24% for medical only, and 33% for recreation only. Two-thirds cited at least some medical motivation.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05699APA
Shafer, Sydney; Kennedy, Gunnar; Christian, W Jay. (2024). Population-based cross-sectional analysis of cannabis use among Kentucky adults, 2020-21.. Journal of cannabis research, 6(1), 44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-024-00251-x
MLA
Shafer, Sydney, et al. "Population-based cross-sectional analysis of cannabis use among Kentucky adults, 2020-21.." Journal of cannabis research, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-024-00251-x
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Population-based cross-sectional analysis of cannabis use am..." RTHC-05699. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/shafer-2024-populationbased-crosssectional-analysis-of
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.