Reuters reported yesterday on the results of a national survey on drug use which said that the use of methamphetamines is decreasing while more people are using marijuana.
According to the survey, 22.6 million Americans over the age of twelve – or roughly nine percent of the population – used illegal drugs in 2010, up from 8.7 percent in 2009 and 8 percent in 2008. The survey was conducted by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Among those 22.6 million drug users, roughly 17.4 million of them specifically said that they were using marijuana, an increase from the 2007 number of 14.4 million.
Not surprisingly, the increases in marijuana use are much higher in those states which have legalized the use of medical marijuana. According to Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, “Emerging research reveals potential links between state laws permitting access to smoked medical marijuana and higher rates of marijuana use.”
The survey also showed that the use of cocaine has fallen, as has drinking among those under the legal age for consuming alcohol.
