This century brings us the largest number of Americans that approve marijuana use. It was reported just this week that a new Gallup survey showed an increase in the number of American favouring legalization of marijuana. Results show that 58 percent of Americans would want to legalize cannabis and this number is the largest number recorded ever. The number has more than doubled in the last 12 years.
Last 2001-2002, the recorded U.S. adults using marijuana was about 4.1 percent. However 2013 results show it has increased to 9.5 percent after a decade.
As reported in NBC News, marijuana use has more than doubled in the United States since the beginning of the century. With this, an increase number of problems for users have also been recorded such as addiction according to researchers last Wednesday.
Data showing that more than half of Americans favour marijuana was collected from two giant face-to-face surveys of nearly 80,000 U.S. adults. This survey was facilitated by Bridget Grant of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and their colleagues.
"The prevalence of marijuana use more than doubled between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013, and there was a large increase in marijuana use disorders during that time," they wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association's JAMA Psychiatry.
"While not all marijuana users experience problems, nearly three of 10 marijuana users manifested a marijuana use disorder in 2012-2013." That's about 6.8 million Americans according to researchers.
"When examined by age, young adults were at highest risk for marijuana use disorder in both surveys. Clearly, concerns about this age group continue, with prevention and intervention efforts for this group critically needed."
Researchers also noted that blacks are now more likely to use cannabis than whites.
Furthermore, the Oregonian reports a study that found 30 percent of marijuana users find themselves dependent on the drug. This means this is the continued use of pt despite trouble with family and friends, failing to cut back in marijuana use and repeatedly driving on high according to Washington Post.
This is largely contributed to legal changes that have led to easier access to cannabis. According to the researchers, four states have already legalized recreational marijuana use and 23 states have medical marijuana laws. However, the researchers also noted that most people do not become addicted but with a 30 percent chance of abuse and dependence, this number will likely increase as the number of users also increases.
