Marijuana Consumers Say They’ll Increase Their Cannabis Use To Deal With The Trump Administration, Poll Shows

Half of U.S. marijuana consumers say they expect to consume more cannabis under the Trump administration than they have before, according to a new poll.

After a tumultuous first three months of President Donald Trump’s second term— with heightened economic anxieties and major restructuring of the federal government—the polling results indicate that many plan to turn to marijuana for reprieve.

The survey released on Thursday, which was conducted by The Harris Poll and commissioned by the cannabis company Royal Queen Seeds, found that 50 percent of marijuana consumers anticipate the new administration will lead them to use more frequently. That includes 59 percent of young female adult consumers aged 21-34.

The findings seem to comport with another recent survey that showed cannabis consumers self-reporting higher levels of stress since Trump was inaugurated compared to the overall population.

Relatedly, another poll from February found that nearly 7 in 10 American marijuana consumers say they plan to spend either more on cannabis or about the same amount in 2025 compared to last year.

For the latest Harris Poll survey, respondents were also asked about their views and preferences when it comes to purchasing cannabis from licensed retailers or growing plants for personal use. And it signaled that there’s substantial concern about quality control in state-legal markets.

For example, 54 percent of Americans said they believe store-bought marijuana contains pesticides. And 62 percent of cannabis consumers said they worry that they don’t know what’s in the marijuana products they buy.

About one in three cannabis consumers who said they’ve seen marijuana-related news (32 percent) expressed interest in growing their own plants, which is potentially responsive to stories about product recalls and mislabeling at retailers in legal states.

“We’re seeing a groundswell of support for home cultivation across demographics, driven not just by cost, but by trust,” Shai Ramsahai, president of Royal Queen Seeds, said in a press release. “People want to know what they’re putting in their bodies. For many, growing cannabis is about wellness, empowerment and transparency.”

Among cannabis consumers, the poll additionally found that 15 percent already do grow their own plants—a four percentage point increase from 2024. And 76 percent said they believe home cultivation would save them money.

Sixty-two percent said they’d prefer to grow marijuana than buy it from shops, but 58 percent said they’re concerned about potential legal risks associated with the activity, even if it’s legal within their state.

The surveyinvolved interviews with 2,011 adults 21 and older, including 782 self-reported cannabis consumers, from March 13-17. The margin of error is +/-2.5 percentage points.

Somewhat contrasting the poll’s findings, a separate survey from the cannabis telehealth platform NuggMD that was released last month found that 73 percent of marijuana consumers had either “high” or “moderate” trust that the products they buy from licensed sources don’t contain pesticides, mold or other contaminants.

NuggMD also recently released a survey that found two out of three marijuana consumers say they’ve had to make the decision to spend less money on cannabis because of broader inflation in the economy.

Meanwhile, another poll from January found that more than half of marijuana consumers say they drink less alcohol, or none at all, after using cannabis.

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