In a new poll, half of Americans say they’ve tried marijuana recreationally. This fuels fears that the rapid legalization of marijuana in the US is fueling its use, particularly among young people.
Polling firm Gallup said the number of 50 percent of Americans who have tried weed represents a 2 percentage point increase from the last poll at the beginning of 2022.
The survey of 1,105 adults showed that the proportion of regular users had risen to 17 percent. That is more than twice as much as in 2013.
“As marijuana has become more accessible to Americans and legal in more states, reports of its use and experimentation have increased,” Gallup said in a statement.
America has passed the halfway mark: 50 percent of the population has tried marijuana
A customer purchases recreational cannabis from a dispensary on the first day of legal sale in Leicester, Massachusetts, in 2018
“Now half the country has tried, while the other half say they never did.”
The survey adds concern that cannabis legalization in 23 US states and Washington DC is fueling use, particularly among teenagers and young adults who are vulnerable to the ill effects.
Proponents say marijuana has health and social benefits, but critics say widespread use is leading to higher rates of mental health problems, substance abuse and even more stoned drivers leading to car accidents.
Opinion poll
Do you think the federal government should lift its cannabis ban?
- Yes, 272 votes
- No 179 votes
When the survey was released, child and adolescent psychiatrist Bobby Smyth warned on social media that legalization had led to rising rates of drug addiction and emergency room visits among young and old.
Therefore, “physicians, e.g. For example, the American Medical Association has opposed legalizing cannabis,” Smyth said.
The US government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that marijuana use can disproportionately affect young people and negatively impact brain development and mental health.
Gallup researchers found that cannabis use peaked among adults between the ages of 18 and 34.
Almost a third of them use cannabis regularly, compared to just 9 percent of those over 55.
There was also a political split. A full 57 percent of Democratic respondents said they had tried marijuana, compared to 52 percent of independents and 39 percent of Republicans.
Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana with a law passed earlier this year that went into effect Aug. 1.
Legalization in more and more parts of America comes as scientists raise alarms about the drug.
Stanford University experts announced in February that cannabis users are up to a third more likely to have a heart attack than others.
Researchers supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse warned in May that marijuana could lead to a 30 percent increase in schizophrenia cases among young men.
Young, democratically voting men are at the forefront of American cannabis culture
Joshua Jimenez committed suicide in December 2021 at the age of 22. Josh has been using marijuana since he was 14 and has been hospitalized three times for a weed-related psychosis
The above shows cannabis use in all American states. Twenty-one states and DC have legalized it for recreational use in addition to medicinal use, while almost all now allow medicinal use.
That same month, relatives of three people who abused cannabis told how marijuana had turned their lives upside down.
Sonia Jimenez, of Houston, Texas, lost her 22-year-old son Josh to suicide in December 2021, which she says was the result of chronic cannabis use.
Josh began smoking and vaping the drug in 9th grade and soon developed a habit that led to three hospitalizations for psychosis.
After he started using weed, Josh’s grades began to deteriorate. He also became extremely paranoid, saying that his friends tried to kill him, adding that he saw “some really scary things like dark, almost demonic beings,” according to his sister.
At one point, he fell asleep behind the wheel, drove about 100 miles per hour, and was in a serious car accident. Another time, according to his sister, he fell asleep after smoking or lighting a candle, resulting in a major fire.
Josh’s sister Alex said he borrowed money from family members before eloping to California overnight. When he ran out of money, Josh’s family paid for a bus to take him back to Texas. But he never made it home. Josh got off the bus in Pecos, Texas and jumped in front of a train.
His family blames the extremely strong strains of cannabis that Josh smoked. THC, especially in high doses, has been linked to the development of various psychiatric disorders, from depression to schizophrenia and psychosis.
What are the health risks of marijuana?
According to official estimates, around 48 million Americans smoke cannabis at least once a year.
Marijuana is the third most commonly used drug in the United States after alcohol and tobacco.
That number is increasing as states continue to legalize the drug.
21 US states have legalized the drug for adult recreational use.
But there is also growing evidence of health risks, particularly for young adults.
Researchers assume that it has the following negative effects:
- Brain Damage: It can lead to permanent loss of IQ because it hampers brain development, and can even have permanent effects on cognition in young adults.
- Mental health: It has been linked to increased suicide rates, as well as psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety, although it’s unclear if marijuana is the cause;
- Daily Life: Surveys link it to more problems at work and maintaining healthy relationships;
- Driving: Research shows that those who drive under the influence of alcohol react more slowly and have less coordination.
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.