Study: Marijuana Use Is Becoming More Acceptable in America

A survey by Yahoo News and Marist College found that marijuana is becoming more normalized in America. The survey suggests that more American adults say they’ve used marijuana than those that haven’t. The survey says that 133 million American adults have admitted to trying it and 115 million haven’t.

Fifty-five million American adults say they’ve used marijuana in the last year, according to Salon. That is roughly 23.1-percent of the nation’s adult population. Thirty-five million claim regular marijuana use and 20 million say they currently use. The same report indicates that 56-percent of Americans find marijuana use to be “socially acceptable.”

More Americans are being open about their marijuana use. About 95-percent of those surveyed said they’ve told a spouse or significant other about using marijuana. Surprisingly, 35-percent also say they’ve used marijuana in front of or with their adult children.

Only 27-percent of marijuana users surveyed said they use marijuana because it’s still illegal. The most popular response, at 37-percent, is that marijuana is used for relaxation. Behind relaxation is pain relief at 19-percent. Only 16-percent said they use marijuana because it’s fun.

The overall shift in perception of marijuana has changed too. Nearly 76-percent of those surveyed say that marijuana is safer than tobacco and 70-percent say it’s less dangerous than alcohol. In regards to opiates, 67-percent of those surveyed say marijuana is safer than opiates.