Marijuana Use By The Numbers
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September 10, 2009
FYI: Feel free to also comment on this commentary (and digg it) at the Huffington Post here and at Alternet.org here.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has once again released their annual survey on “drug use and health” — you know, the one where representatives of the federal government go door-to-door and ask Americans if they are presently breaking state and federal law by using illicit drugs. The same survey where respondents have historically under reported their usage of alcohol and tobacco — these two legal substances — by as much as 30 to 50 percent, and arguably under report their use of illicit substances by an even greater margin. The same survey that — despite these inherent limitations — “is the primary source of statistical information on the use of illegal drugs by the U.S. population.” Yeah, that one.
So what does the government’s latest round of ‘statistical (though highly questionable) information’ tell us? Nothing we didn’t already know.
Despite 70+ years of criminal prohibition, marijuana still remains widely popular among Americans, with over 102 million Americans (41 percent of the U.S. population) having used it during their lifetimes, 26 million (10 percent) having used it in the past year, and over 15 million (6 percent) admitting that they use it regularly. (By contrast, fewer than 15 percent of adults have ever tried cocaine, the second most ‘popular’ illicit drug, and fewer than 2 percent have ever tried heroin — so much for that supposed ‘gateway effect.’) Predictably, all of the 2008 marijuana use figures are higher than those that were reported for the previous year — great work John Walters!
Equally predictably, the government’s long-standing prohibition and anti-pot ‘scare’ campaigns have done little, if anything, to dissuade young people from trying it. According to the survey, 15 percent of those age 14 to 15 have tried pot (including 12 percent in the past year), as have 31 percent of those age 16 to 17 (a quarter of which have done so in the past year) — percentages that make marijuana virtually as popular as alcohol among these age groups. By age 20, 45 percent of adolescents have tried pot, and nearly a third of those age 18 to 20 have done so in the past year. And by age 25, 54 percent of the population has admittedly used marijuana.
Question: Does anyone still believe that marijuana prohibition is working — or that all of these people deserve to be behind bars?
For too long, advocates of prohibition have framed their arguments on the false assumption that the continued enforcement of said laws “protects our children.” As the numbers above illustrate, this premise is nonsense. In fact, just the opposite is true.
The government’s war on cannabis and cannabis consumers endangers the health and safety of our children. It enables young people to have unregulated access to marijuana — easier access than they presently have to alcohol. It enables young people to interact and befriend pushers of other illegal, more dangerous drugs. It compels young people to dismiss the educational messages they receive pertaining to the potential health risks posed by the use of “hard drugs” and prescription pharmaceuticals, because kids say, “If they lied to me about pot, why wouldn’t they be lying to me about everything else, too?”
Most importantly, the criminal laws are far more likely to result in having our children arrested, placed behind bars, and stigmatized with a lifelong criminal record than they are likely to in any way discourage them to try pot.
In short, what the results from the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health is simple and consistent; in fact, we say it all the time: Remember prohibition? It still doesn’t work!
68 Responses to “Marijuana Use By The Numbers”
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If anything, as your article eludes, marijuana prohibition has kept marijuana a vital part of youth culture, being ‘against the establishment’ and, subsequently, ‘hip’. This may be why so many people consider it a gateway drug, simply because it’s cool to try, not to mention more easily available than alcohol, when you’re young. Regretfully, keeping it illegal and demonizing it the same way we do cocaine or heroine is probably driving numbers for those drugs up. So much for pulling the wool over their eyes; instead, honest drug education and sensible policies could effectively leave citizens with a moral responsibility to know party safely.
ah soo…
Same ol’ same ol’… * 142^d8 * Netherlands: Dutch Lawmakers May Limit Coffee-Shop Access http://tinyurl.com/ner2ab #norml #R_U_outavit #Danzr_1 #Buddha #Weed
(C) c);-)
you know, its a damn shame they can never know just how many people are in fear of being truthful about this count thing.you can damn sure bet their are many, many more of us who may admit to using or, have tried using cannabis if their wasnt such a fear of losing home and family from being targeted as a drug user. and, this whole worry about the children thing as a main reason for proibition well, if the damn fools would legalize and regulate it for adult consumption only, our children would have a hard time getting their hands on it . look at alcohol dammit.yea, and alcohol….when i was young, my folks drank up a storm, havin a good ole time so, naturally, i began drinkin and just had a blast with my friends and our first thought was….gee ,if this stuff is fun, i wonder what its like to smoke pot..of course, that was the best thing i could have done cause, it kept me away from alcohol which ended up destroying much of my family. come on government …listen to the people who know best..
I wish everyone had a common sense switch somewhere in their brains that could be easily turned on. What is really funny and ironic is that if you somehow got all the prohibitionists to get high just once and got them thinking about the drug war, their view would probably change.
well, not too surprising. hopefully the numbers keep rising so as to force the Supreme Court to make a ruling (hopefully) in favor of states’ rights. that, or they can arrest everyone who uses pot and see what that does to our economy as opposed to regulating and taxing pot to responsible adults 21 or older. fuck, as a 19 year old, I’d be more than happy to wait 2 years to smoke pot legally. since it’s illegal though, I think I’ll go drink and drive…since alcohol and cars are both legal
that gateway myth is bull$ man i started with cocaine at first but then i started smoking cannabis and i liked it and it also helped me with muscular pain.(no im not old cause im overweight and started walking like 3-4 miles daily).the only reason its a gateway is because of prohibition!
video from yesterdays San Diego raids….. Everyone needs to watch this and get it out there! http://www.cbs8.com/global/category.asp?c=155799&clipId=&topVideoCatNo=149659&topVideoCatNoB=155712&topVideoCatNoC=155713&topVideoCatNoD=155710&topVideoCatNoE=155711&autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=4114860&flvUri=&thirdpartymrssurl=
THEY ARE IGNORANTS FOOLS! WHO ONLY CARE AOBUT MONEY!
cut the bullshit and legalize our weed this charade has gone on long enough!!! amsterdamn makes us look like rubes, and we are. land of the(free?) government nannies… if the president would just legalize pot i would suggest he get a third term..
Huzzah, NORML!
“If they lied to me about pot, why wouldn’t they be lying to me about everything else, too?”
That’s EXACTLY what I said to myself — in college — when I finally gave in to peer pressure and smoked teh sacred ganja.
At the ripe young age of 18, my eyes were finally opened.
Here’s a little quiz for anyone who wants to participage:
List these substances, in order from least dangerous to most:
Alcohol-Cannabis-Cocaine-Psychedelic Mushrooms-Aspirin
Answers at:
http://suburra.com/DrugPages/drugsm1.htm
http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/30
hooow muuuuuch loooooooooonger MUST WE WAIT!!!!
i FUCKING WANT TO SMOKE THIS SHIT OUT IN THE OPEN
I smoked marijuana from age 15 – 19 and I agree with everything this story points out. In high school, I was told that smoking weed would “cause my facial hair to fall out and my testicles to shrink.” I called bullshit on our teacher (this was before D.A.R.E.) and asked her how long it would take for these ‘side effects’ to occur and she said “5 – 6 months.” My friends and I laughed to ourselves as most of us had been smoking and/or eating it for years with just the oppisite happening since most of us were teenage boys. So why believe anything else they told us about the ‘harder’ drugs? I went on to try the hard stuff but marijuana wasn’t ‘the gateway’ at all, it was liquor. Everytime I tried a new drug, I was drunk. Perhaps stoned too at times but my poor judgement was defintely caused by alcohol, not weed. I feel that prohibition is the ‘Gateway’ to drugs, not marijuana and our country decided that prohibition doesn’t work almost 80 years ago…so why are we still doing it? (added by Mobile using Mippin)
Great article, but you missed just one single crucial element, MONEY (the stuff that makes the world go ’round). It’s why the prohibition was instated in the first place, and its the only thing powerful enough to lift it. Currently marijuana sales generally fund local gangs and cartels, or even worse, gangs and cartels from other countries (such as Mexico). If marijuana usage is as wide- spread as the survey says that it is, there is a HUGE profit being made. However, that money isn’t returning to our economy, it is going to other countries and funding local gang violence by being used to obtain illegal weapons from underground (most likely foreign) black market. The legalization and regulation of marijuana sales would boost our struggling economy as well as eliminate the “gateway” effect, which currently exists, but only as a product of government “scare” propaganda. While your points on protecting American children were both truthful and moving, I know one thing for sure, and that is that our government doesn’t care about kids. They only care about one thing, the all-mighty DOLLAR.
http://www.serendipity.li/wod.html
The US uses prohibition to control the greatest money making scheme ever known to mandkind.
LMAO Hey way to go on the marijuana prohibition everyone! It seems to be working. Less than half of the country abstains…
Word! Thats a hella smart statement: ‘If they lied to me about pot they are probbly lying about hard drugs too.’ I fully agree. Ive NEVER seen an anti heroin or acid commercial. No but every other damn commercial has some baby faced teen smokin pot then losin their friends or havin little people on their shoulder tell em itll only make em kinda stupid. They gona think dam there so anal about pot and its really harmless whats the truth on other drugs?
Matter of fact I sold meth and coke in the late nineties and early 2000s even helped a friend cook some a coupla times. And everytime id come home spun out or strung out it would always trip me out how hard the gov was workin to kill pot when i was goin thru speed faster than i could make it. I was makin 8000 a week sometimes….. wheres the anti meth commercials?
Our leaders feed us B.S. on every front,every issue,then expcet us to swallow it with out complaint.Even if we do complain ,we are ignored or demonized.
YAY!! I love my government!(@Y@)
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Screw”em. Take a toke,copy & pass it on.
Sad to say they shut down a medical marijuana dispersary in Spokane. They arrested the owners and ‘warned’ other dispersaries to close shop immediatly. Poor sick folks. They are just looking for relief. I kno i seem violent on here at times but look at all the ruin they heap upon the people. It sickens and enrages me. Why the very idea of a ‘war’ on a countries own citizens is horrible. i hope every last one of those pigs gets cancer and turns to pot for help. HEY YOU COWARDLY PIGS! GROW SOME BALLS AND GO AFTER THE CARETELS FOR ONCE LEAVE THE SICK AND NON VIOLENT ALONE. GO AFTER THOSE THAT CAN SHOOT BACK YOU PISSANT LITTLE BITCHES.
I wonder when the people in government will start believing their own data. When the government passes laws that make criminals of 104 million people it is not practical. Our law enforcement can’t begin to deal with those kinds of numbers not to mention the courts.I think this falls under tyranny.
governments a fucking scam. they’re like the commercials that say something is free then at the bottom in very small print you get charged for some bullshit. lets start a new country
i say revolution time fuck all the talking
What happened?? The people in calif voted and made cannabis legal?? Even Obama said back off?? I suppose without weed people to arrest the cops are getting antsey.. They gotta bust somebody to fill the jails and justify their sadistic existence!!
CFH
And now a word from our buzz killing oppressors:
This location has been involved in the trafficking of illegal narcotics. Criminal prosecution is pending
Here’s the article:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/10/raids-shut-down-marijuana-dispensaries/?metro&zIndex=163365
Will this crap ever end!
fuck em all every motherfucker who hasn’t smoked but passes judgement. YOUR THE ROMANS, WE ARE JESUS!!!! We will win and history will laugh at your stupidity.
#3 Danzr Von Thai: When the tourist dollars start falling, and they will RAPIDLY, law makers will no doubt do an about face.
And nothing against religion, however, when we were there we were told that religions were messing up the Dutch government. Tah-Da!!
Soo … it isn’t just the repulsive politicians it’s also the religious nut jobs that we have to contend with.
The Gov lies so much they beleive there selves
ROE
Now THATS cool!
“When the govt. fears it’s people; their is liberty. When the people fear it’s govt.; their is tyranny.”
It’s to replace lost slavery with prison labor.
tinyurl.com/1mn
#11 Phil E. Drifter Says:
September 10th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
“…Here’s a little quiz for anyone who wants to participate:
List these substances, in order from least dangerous to most:
Alcohol-Cannabis-Cocaine-Psychedelic Mushrooms-Aspirin”
RE: Phil E. Drifter,
- Without looking at the answers-page first,
and by also evaluating all of the above on the
basis of their pure, unadulturated, “food-grade”,
“medical-grade” forms, I list these compounds,
from LEAST DANGEROUS to MOST DANGEROUS, as follows:
1) Cannabis (LEAST DANGEROUS)
2) Mushrooms
3) Cocaine
4) Aspirin
5) Alcohol (MOST DANGEROUS)
AND…
- Arranged acording to ADDICTIVENESS:
(Based upon listings at
DrugPages-DrugMyths1
and each compound’s pharmacological properties):
1) Mushrooms, LSD, Peyote (LEAST addictive)
2) Cannabis
3) Cocaine (similarly-addictive
as CAFFEINE,
in its NATURAL-FORM…)
4) Alcohol (MOST addictive).
- Alcohol-withdrawal, delerium-tremens,
can be FATAL!!!
- So…why is this one even legal…
CONSIDERING…?!?!?
I had a phobia against all drugs including pot growing up and refused it till late teens. I smoked my first joint after going away to college and only then because my 2 roomies said, “if you’re bunking with us ya gotta partake”. I immediately thought, why did you wait so long for this? Since then I rarely smoked, even more rarely bought it and now in my late fifties I’m consuming more just to relieve the aches and pains and for meditative purposes. Never considered heroin. Free the weed!!!
[...] Full Story Puff, puff, pass… [...]
think the government will never legalize the use of marijuana ,the government makes to much money locking people up .this is suppose to be the land of the free ,how does and over paid politian have the right to tell me what to do with my life ,think they should pay all of them minimum wage that is what they are worth how is it they get paid better than most citizens ,have better health care get vacations and recesses more than everyone else AND THEY WORK FOR US ! something wrong with this picture .this is more propaganda from your government
Nice graphic, R.O.E.
the biggest employer in florida is the judicial system here ,it once was citrus ,then disney got here and they where the biggest employer in florida ,then they found out how much money they could make locking people up so now it is big business here is the judicial system .got a saying here come to florida on vacation ,go home on probation ,back again on violation ,now your here to do the duration in incarceration for the whole duration .so dont think with all the money they get from this currrupt system things will ever
Another question…If cannabis was decriminalized or even legalized, would it keep more people from even trying “harder” drugs (such as heroin, cocaine, etc)?
“seedy Says:
September 11th, 2009 at 8:34 am
think the government will never legalize the use of marijuana ,the government makes to much money locking people up .”
They don’t make money, they make SLAVES.
I grew up scared of any drugs (including tobacco, alcohol). First time I was offered pot was in 4th Grade…and never tried it. Most of my friends were into it for a while and I just never messed with it. As I got older I began to drink and really don’t like it. When you get drunk, esp. really drunk…you tend to not even remember things and you feel HORRIBLE the day after..or even the week after depending on how much you drink. I first tried pot when I was 22…and my life changed. I don’t even want to drink anymore. And no..I don’t smoke every single day heh…or even every week. I feel that I can prioritize other important things first in my life (unlike with drinking..its just addictive). I don’t find pot addictive and it doesn’t intoxicate you in the same ways as alcohol..it just FEELS more natural and doesn’t affect my motor skills. It only gives me a different perspective and makes me more creative. I still can’t understand why it’s labeled the way it is.
Has revolution come yet? I have has enough of this lie called government. When we are ready,just say the word…LET’S ROLL!
Has Revolution come yet? Im sick of this lie call a Government…..Lets Roll!
Seriously ROE thats some cool shit you should put that bong on some green T shirts and write in old english across the top Runnin On Empty.
General Jake: Ya got an Idea there. Maybe I’ll play aroung with my adobe CS4. Never know .Hows this strike ya?
Are you tired of waiting for reason and sanity?
So am I. Join me at:
Runnin’on empty.com (NOT REAL ADDRESS)
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When there is a positive action, there is always a negative reaction, MARIJUANA PROHIBITION. Surveys, ads on the big screens, media propaganda, DARE program and everything else in between, the battle goes on. Billions of dollars of our tax money going down the drain over marijuana eradication, prisons being filled and victims of MARIJUANA PROHIBITION being victimized over a plant that should be legal, but demonetized by the government, THE 21ST CENTURY INQUISITORS. Questions asked, who lied and who told the truth on surveys in which the information can always be altered just like our consciousness. Money talks and the bullshit keeps on a walkin, what happened to the power of the people who are to have choices on what we ingest into our bodies instead of government approved drugs that are killing people, one eye open and one eye blind shut. So much for GOVERNMENT SURVEYS and the INQUISITORS just another trickle of our rights going down the drain. Here today, gone tomorrow but the light at the end tunnel is getting brighter.
NORML has as much to do with the current state of prohibition as does the DEA. NORML (IMHO) has proved itself to be an organization for the benefit of drug lawyers that make their living off this war.
Drug lawyers have no interest in legalization of cannabis (that’s why NORML was always for de-crim for possession – but let’s keep fleecing the dealers and growers!
I gave money to NORML in the 70′s!!! 30 years and there are more people arrested than ever. How long did the repeal of Alcohol prohibition take? Alcohol was run by mobsters with guns. Cannabis is grown by farmers with family – there was no motivation to try to keep fleecing the mobsters, they wouldn’t stand for it. But a grower/dealer will pay whatever it takes to not lose their family….
Just a thought -
I support MPP and the DPA with money and time. NORML doesn’t deserve a dime from any of us, AFAIC…
I’m commenting because I found this cross posted on Current.com – let’s see if this comment posts
[Russ responds: Of course it will post, because I find that conspiracy theory hilarious. First of all, I know many of these lawyers and they'd much rather be taking any other cases but simple possession raps and home grow busts. Not a lot of money to be made from your average kid with a dimebag or dude with a closet grow compared to all the other myriad ways lawyers can make money. My lawyer friends do a ton of pro bono work in the community and really do want to see that portion of their caseload eliminated entirely. Second, do you apply that theory to PETA (they don't want to end animal cruelty 'cuz they'd have no jobs) or NARAL or Greenpeace or any other non-profit ostensibly fighting to eliminate their own jobs? Third, you make the mistake of assuming NORML is a big building full of scheming lawyers intent on keeping themselves in business when in fact NORML is over a hundred local chapters all across the country staffed entirely by volunteers. Fourth, Alcohol Prohibition was overturned in thirteen years because there are (a) far more people in America who drink alcohol, (b) a much greater cultural history of alcohol use in America and her European forebears (pot smoking for recreation is a relatively new phenomenon), and (c) more average citizens got involved in overturning it instead of casting conspiracy theories at the groups that were organizing people to overturn it. Fifth, NORML has always been for full legalization of marijuana, but has also understood that getting there may involve steps including lowest priority, decriminalization, and medical marijuana.
But I'm glad to see you're supporting MPP and DPA.]
and they make to much money locking people up also between the pharmaceutical companys and the judicial system and the media not telling the truth we dont stand a chance of getting marijuana legalized be waiting for this for 60 years now dont see it happening either
I mean by Russ’s own reasoning it was easier to get alcohol repealed cuz more people were for it and we hav a long alcoholic history as humans. And weed is taboo still. But i submit to you one thing: homosexuals. not very long ago it to was very taboo. In fact you could be chemically castrated or imprisoned. Gay USED to be more taboo then pot. Then thoses guys rallied and marched and yelled out loud… and now i got a gay friend gettin married next week. We could be like that but we aint. Impotence and quiet is the NORML and stoner creed.
And dont give me this ‘greater american alcohol history’
bullshit. Mankind been tokin since the third century bc. So as for the whole greater cultural history thing bah Thomas Jefferson and Washington grew the shit. They smoked it during the civil war with greater love for it than booze. Pots as culturally significant as alcohol and baseball… its jus the gays wanted it and drunks wanted it more than us.