Americans Are Smoking Marijuana More Than Cigarettes For The First Time Ever, New Poll Shows

Americans Are Smoking Marijuana More Than Cigarettes

According to a new Gallup poll for the very first time on record, the usage of regular cannabis has increased more than cigarette use in the U.S. Marijuana use has dramatically risen over the past half-century and is presently the highest record Gallup has ever recorded. The poll was conducted among adults. Out of the American adults who participated in the poll, in results around 16% of the total stated currently they smoke marijuana, and around half said they are not currently using it but have tried it at some point in their lifetime. When the same poll was conducted for the first time in 1969, only 4% of respondents said they had tried marijuana.

Cigarettes Use Has Reduced Among Americans

That same year, surprisingly 40% of respondents said they had smoked cigarettes in the same week. But during the past few decades, cigarette use has reduced among Americans, and usage of Marijuana has increased. In the poll carried out last month, only 11% of total respondents indicated they are smokers. It is the lowest ever data of Gallup since 1944 when it started collecting data. This shows a noticeable reduction from even the previous year’s data when respondents who smoked cigarettes in the past week are reported to be 16% of the total. In the 1950s, in a poll 45% of adults reported they smoked cigarettes. In 2019, 83% of respondents of adults who smoke considered smoking to be a very harmful practice whereas the leftover 14% population said it is somewhat harmful. In 2013, awareness increased among people. About more than nine in 10 people said smoking caused cancer and in a poll conducted in 2015, 91% of smokers regret their practice of smoking.

Increase in Smoking of Cannabis

But Americans’ different opinions on the impact of marijuana are less negative. According to another Gallup poll conducted in July, among the age group of 18-34, 62% of adults and 53% of those aged 35-54 considered that there are positive effects of Marijuana on the health of those who use it. Shockingly 49% of respondents believe marijuana has a positive effect on society. The smoking of cannabis is at the highest rate among the young Americans with nearly one-third of respondents under the age of 35 saying they smoke marijuana. But in the same age group, only 8% smoke cigarettes at least once a week.

There is a Need to Decrease the Use of Marijuana

Although marijuana is used for recreational purposes, it is still illegal in over half of the U.S. Its usage is made legal in some form in 38 states, and this may act as a contributing factor to its rise in popularity and use over there. According to a Gallup poll, 68% of U.S. adults believed the number of cannabis consumers will continue to increase in the future as more states legalize the drug. It is important to note that some authorities have shown the harmful effects of marijuana particularly for young adults and the most possible way that attitudes toward its use could decrease among young if the focus is shifted towards the ill effects of marijuana in the upcoming years. But alcohol continues to be the most used among all others in America.