More Americans Agree That Alcohol & Tobacco Are More Harmful Than Cannabis

A larger percentage of Americans believe that alcohol and nicotine pose greater dangers to health than marijuana, according to national polling data provided by Gallup.

Seventy-nine percent of respondents acknowledged that cigarettes are “very harmful” to health. One-third of respondents said that alcohol was “very harmful.” By contrast, 26 percent of those surveyed said that cannabis was “very harmful.” Twenty-two percent said that it was “not harmful at all.”

The survey’s results are consistent with those of prior polls, finding that most Americans perceive marijuana to be less harmful than alcohol or cigarettes.

Respondents’ attitudes toward cannabis varied by whether they had ever consumed it. Specifically, 61 percent of cannabis consumers said that it has a “positive” effect on “most people who use it.” By contrast, only 30 percent of non-users agreed with the statement.