Study: Marijuana Appears in 37% of U.S. Hip-Hop Music Videos

OG article by Anthony Martinelli

January 13, 2026

Study: Marijuana Appears in 37% of U.S. Hip-Hop Music Videos. Researchers from the Institute for Therapy and Health Research analyzed 1,160 top YouTube music videos from 2024, finding marijuana imagery in over 37% of U.S. hip-hop and rap videos—far higher than in other genres or German hip-hop (under 10%). Overall, 41% of videos showed cannabis or nicotine, but U.S. hip-hop dominated cannabis depictions, leading to thousands of appearances and an estimated 49 billion viewer impressions based on view counts. The study, published in Substance Use & Misuse, was descriptive rather than judgmental, classifying substance portrayals without evaluating impact. It highlights hip-hop's cultural association with marijuana amid evolving legalization. Findings aim to spark discussions on media literacy, potential content labeling, and societal norms around cannabis in influential music. Nicotine featured more prominently in German hip-hop at over 30%.