Cannabis Great Britain study: 1.2 million use it near-daily

NewsUnited Kingdom

By Spliff NewsroomPublished 10 November 2026 at 14:02·3 min read

A cannabis Great Britain study from the University of Bath and King's College London estimates that 1.2 million people use cannabis daily or almost daily. The findings, published on 9 November 2026, rely on a survey of 25,537 adults across England, Wales and Scotland.

Researchers at the University of Bath and King’s College London analysed answers from 25,537 adults. The data came from the ASH Smokefree Great Britain surveys run in 2023 and 2024, according to the University of Bath. The work appears in the journal Addiction.

What the survey found

Of all respondents, 7.2% said they had used cannabis in the past year. Among those past-year users, 24.2% reported daily or near-daily use.

That works out at the headline estimate of 1.2 million people in Great Britain, as reported by Le Cannabiste.

Middle-aged adults stand out

People aged 25 and over were more likely to use cannabis daily than those aged 18 to 24. Adults aged 35 to 54 were about twice as likely as the youngest group.

The study also points to other patterns, summarised below.

• Smoking: 29% of users who smoke cannabis reported daily use, against 13% of those using other methods such as edibles or vapes.
• Tobacco: 35% of users who smoke tobacco reported daily use, against 15% of non-smokers.
• Work: 37% of unemployed users reported daily use, against 21% of employed users.

Gender, ethnicity, region and social grade showed no link to daily use once other factors were taken into account.

Gap with official figures

The estimate is far higher than the Crime Survey for England and Wales, which previously reported about 470,000 daily users among adults in England and Wales. The authors note that the difference may come from methodology rather than a real rise in use.

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance in the UK, and recreational use remains illegal in Great Britain. Earlier research has linked frequent use to a higher risk of cannabis use disorder, psychosis and respiratory problems.

Researchers call for better support

Dr Elle Wadsworth said that how often people use cannabis matters as much as whether they use it, because it helps show the risks and who might benefit from support. Dr Hannah Walsh said the daily-use profile includes more middle-aged people, unemployed people and tobacco smokers.

Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of ASH, said the findings challenge common assumptions, according to the University of Bath. She called for coordination between stop-smoking and drug treatment services. Those services are encouraged to identify and support daily users better.

Ce que ça change pour toi

This is a research finding, not a change in the law. Nothing in the study alters the rules on cannabis in Great Britain, where recreational use remains illegal.

If you follow the topic, the data suggests the typical frequent user may be older than many assume. It also shows that the way cannabis is consumed appears linked to frequency, with smoking associated with more daily use than edibles or vapes.

For wider context on legal, low-THC options in Europe, you can browse the edibles collection or read about medicinal cannabis supply in the UK. Every Spliff product is lab-tested: THC content below 0.3% (0% for vapes and pods).