Marijuana Use in America Has Doubled in the Past Decade, Study Says – TIME

Marijuana is on the up and up, and up. Marijuana use in the United States has doubled in the past decade as more states move to legalize it, a new study finds.

The percentage of American adults who admitted to marijuana use jumped from 4.1% in 2001-02 to 9.5% in 2012-13, according to the study published in JAMA Psychiatry this week. The research, by scientists from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, shows that use of the drug rose across all groups studied, but especially among women, minorities, people who live in the South and those who are middle-aged or older. This can be attributed to the fact that is now more commonly used medically and recreationally as it has become legalized in some states. It is now a simple matter of looking for a marijuana directory in order to find a reputable distributor nearby. The legalization likewise means that people that perhaps would have avoided consumption of this substance now try it, perhaps out of mere curiosity.

According to the study’s authors, this overall increase is to be expected as marijuana becomes increasingly legal and more widely available. There are now 23 states with medical marijuana laws and four states where marijuana is legal for adult recreational use.

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