In a surprising twist, new data from the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health suggests that Rhode Island—not Colorado, Washington, California or any of the other stereotypical “stoner” states out west—has the highest percentage of users per capita.
13%, or one in eight, of Rhode Island citizens aged 12 and older said that they had used marijuana within the past month. Kansas, with 4.06% overall, reported the lowest levels of marijuana users. For the most part, states in the west generally reported more marijuana users, with an average of 9%; while in the South, marijuana use among the population averaged only 5.83%. The national average is only 7%.
Unsurprisingly, it appears that the largest age group of marijuana users (19%) is between 18-25 years old. In contrast, only 5% of Americans 26 and older reported regular marijuana use.
Marijuana is legal for adults aged 21 and older to use in Colorado and Washington, and legalization will be on the November ballot in Alaska and Oregon later this year. Several other states have recently adopted or proposed initiatives legalizing cannabis for medical use, including New York and Minnesota.
Source:
http://www.samhsa.gov/data/NSDUH/2k12State/NSDUHsae2012/Index.aspx
Photo Credit: 6SN7 via Flickr
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