Poll Shows Marijuana Use Up 40% Since 1969

 

By Laura Brodbeck
As marijuana legalization spread throughout the United States, public perception of the drug began to shift. Now, more and more Americans are admitting to using marijuana and the subject has started to lose its taboo stigma. With the 2016 Presidential election coming up, many believe that politicians will have to start a dialogue about the future of the substance as the topic makes its way to the forefront of voters' minds.

Usage Rising

A new Gallup Poll showed that 44 percent of the Americans surveyed had tried marijuana. That figure represents a marked increase from a 1969 poll, which showed that only 4 percent had used the substance. Eleven percent of the respondents said they are currently using cannabis, nearly double the 7 percent who said they were regular users in 2014.

Dispensaries See Variety Of Users

The poll confirms what dispensary owners in Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, have noticed. Ryan Fox, the founder of Denver's Grass Station dispensaries, said his most recently opened dispensary has already served customers from 48 different states and 11 countries. That particular store has only been open for about a month.

A Hot Topic

While legalization efforts in Colorado and Washington were considered by many as an experimental way to see whether or not legal marijuana is a possibility in the states, Fox said he believes that his experience and data from U.S. agencies suggests that legal pot is here to stay.
In the past, American politicians shied away from discussing marijuana on the campaign trail, but the success of the marijuana industry in states with relaxed laws is likely to spark a conversation in the upcoming 2016 Presidential race.