Disparities in Synthetic Cannabis Use Among U.S. Adults, 2022–2024

Synthetic cannabinoids are widely available in the United States, yet contemporary national data on who uses these products, and disparities in use, are limited. To assess disparities in lifetime and past-year synthetic cannabis use (each yes/no), we used 2022–2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data from adults aged ≥18 years (n = 139,532) and fit two multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for survey year and sociodemographic and policy characteristics. We also calculated proportions of lifetime and past-year use by various plant-based cannabis use modalities. The proportions of adults with lifetime and past-year synthetic cannabis use were 2.7% and 0.3%, respectively. Younger age, male sex, lower education and household income, and non-metropolitan residence were linked to both lifetime and past-year synthetic cannabis use. For example, past-year synthetic cannabis use was associated with living in non-metropolitan (vs. large metropolitan) areas (AOR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.03–2.30). Past-year use was also linked to residence in states without medical cannabis law coverage (AOR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.09–1.94). Finally, past-year synthetic cannabis use was most prevalent among adults who smoked (67.3%) or vaped (52.5%) plant-based cannabis. Synthetic cannabis use was uncommon overall but exhibited clear disparities, underscoring the need for continued surveillance amid evolving cannabinoid policies and markets.