How many people smoke pot?

[RainDog]

41. Here are some figures

from this link upthread - http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4199828

From the 2012 census - U.S. population - 313,914,040 / under 18 years 23.5% / 76.5% over the age of 18.

This is from a 2012 govt survey by age -

12 to 17 - 7% for females, 7.5% for males
18-22 - 24% (college students only 22%) - all illicit drugs, tho the majority of this figure is for marijuana.
26 to 50- 5.3%
50 to 54 - 7.2%
55 to 59 - 6.6%
60 to 64 - 3.6%

Of the 21.5 million current illicit drug users aged 18 or older in 2012, 14.6 million (67.9 percent) were employed either full or part time. This includes all illicit drugs, but the numbers of users of things other than marijuana is tiny.

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For comparison - A 2013 Gallup survey said 38% had tried marijuana at some point in life. Here's a breakdown over the years (based on a sample size of more than a thousand.)



When asked if someone currently used, the number was 7%. Here's a breakdown by categories. The usage figures for young adults is a lot smaller here than the govt survey.



More people who came of age in the 1970s and 1980s (56%) smoked pot when they were younger and these same groups show increases in usage as more liberal laws are passed, according to the govt. survey. Those who came of age in the 1990s who used marijuana were 46% of the population. Those who came of age before them continued to use at the rate of 45%. Those who came of age in the 1970s through the 1990s continue to show high usage through two, three or four decades.

What the numbers say is that marijuana usage figures will continue to grow because those who were born before the boomers, with lower rates of usage, are passing this mortal coil. This leaves three age groups with about 50% avg rates of usage for their age groups - and this will show up on polls for total usage.

These groups, middle aged and elderly, are also the groups that show the greatest increase in usage over the last few years, in terms of percentage changes. As people deal with diseases association with aging, it seems they are turning to marijuana as an affordable form of palliative health management.

Those who came of age after medical marijuana legalization have lower rates of usage at 36% at the same age as older groups, but, of course, much greater usage than the pre-1960s figures.