Gallop: One in Eight U.S. Adults Say They Smoke Marijuana
* 13% report being current marijuana users, up from 7% in 2013
* 43% of U.S. adults say they have tried it
* Use and experimentation differ by religiosity, age
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Thirteen percent of U.S. adults tell Gallup they currently smoke marijuana, nearly double the percentage who reported smoking marijuana only three years ago.
Although use of the drug is still prohibited by federal law, the number of states that have legalized recreational marijuana use has grown from two in 2013, Colorado and Washington, to four today -- with the addition of Alaska and Oregon -- plus the District of Columbia. Five states will vote on whether to legalize marijuana this November.
Half of U.S. states (including the four above) have some variation of a medicinal marijuana law on the books, and four more will be voting this fall on whether to legalize marijuana for medicinal use. Both major-party presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, have voiced support for medicinal marijuana but say they defer to the states in terms of policymaking on both recreational and medicinal marijuana use.
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2 comments:
I live in rural Nova Scotia,If where I live is any indication the numbers of pot users are much higher than those listed. I moved here 10 years ago and was shocked by the amount of drug use, since trend numbers between Canada and the US usually track each other for both countries, I beg to differ on 13% figure. Like the Inflation numbers and unemployment numbers I suspect these numbers are Rigged.
I suspect these numbers are rigged as well and pot use is actually much higher. I also suspect the percentage of adults who have tried it is higher than 43% as well.
I suspect a number of people don't answer the question truthfully out of fear of prosecution. More people are now more inclined to answer the question truthfully now because law enforcement is less likely to prosecute than they were just a few years ago yet people still remember when they were consistent prosecutions and arrests for this. As such, most still are not going to answer the question truthfully.
In other words those who are current users is probably about 35 to 40% and those who have tried it is probably about 95%. Essentially such surveys are worthless since many are not going to answer the question truthfully.
Is this good or bad? I'm not sure about whether the use is good or bad. What is clear is pot legalization will likely occur in all 50 states within the next 4 years or so. If the state legislatures refuse, the courts and the bureaucracy is going to force the issue. While we might want to be circumspect before we legalize something like this, this will not happen as the US government rarely thinks through any of its policies be they domestic or foreign before implementing them. It's all based on ideology.
The next POTUS administration will have their hands full. In the unlikely hood it is Mrs. Clinton, expect her to simply rubber stamp legalization with full on enthusiastic support throwing caution to the wind while blinded by a combination of ideology and stupidity.
In contrast, Mr. Trump has shown, at least on foreign policy pronouncements, an ability to think pragmatically. As such, he and the people he appoints to leadership positions may be able to manage this one properly minimizing any damages that might occur from such a policy as the bottom line is full legalization for any purpose probably cannot be prevented.
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