Because of this, people continue to smoke weed more than cigarettes

It seems like the Marlboro man’s days are numbered as the rise of cannabis smokers has begun to eclipse the big tobacco. A recently Gallup Poll and his data shows that there are more marijuana smokers than cigarette smokers in the United States. Times change.

This dramatic but steady decline in cigarette smoking over time, combined with a slow and steady increase in marijuana users, has put the country at a very interesting crossroads. Tobacco, a legal product in every state, is less popular and is generally considered harmful. Meanwhile, the number of marijuana smokers is growing, and more and more people consider it a useful substance.

Most interestingly, the “harmful” drug (tobacco) is legal and the popular drug (marijuana) is still illegal at the federal level. How is it that marijuana has surpassed tobacco in popularity when there is still a federal ban on it?

Photo by Daniel Garzón Herazo/EyeEm/Getty Images

People give up

One of the main reasons marijuana smokers have outperformed cigarette smokers is that more smokers are quitting and fewer are starting. According to that CDCthe percentage of people considered “current smokers” fell from 20.9% in 2005 to 12.5% ​​in 2020.

Gallup found that only 11% of adults report smoking. The survey also found that about 3 and 10 of the non-smokers surveyed were former smokers. That’s a 30% drop in smokers, suggesting that quitting is the new smoking.

RELATED: Can Cannabis Help You Quit Smoking?

The survey found that the percentage of marijuana smokers is as high as 16%. While this officially surpasses cigarette smokers, the increase was only a few percent over the previous year. The rate of people quitting smoking is declining much faster than the increased rate of people using marijuana.

Cigarettes aren’t cool anymore

“Cigarette smoking is clearly on the decline and will most likely become even rarer in the coming years,” said Dr. Frank Newport in his article for Gallup. “This reflects both public awareness of its negative effects and the continued effort by government at all levels to limit its use.” Newport also notes that while smoking is legal, more and more places are becoming banned.

Many states ban smoking almost everywhere in public: from restaurants to public parks and beaches. In many places, lighting a cigarette has become more of an inconvenience than a luxury.

RELATED: Why tobacco prices are rising while weed’s are falling — and what that means for you

At the same time, the war on drugs has also gone out of fashion. Where there was once “reefer craze,” Democrats and Republicans are now agreeing to legalize marijuana (although it hasn’t gotten that far yet). Public opinion can have an opportunity to change behavior, and what Americans choose to smoke seems to be no exception. This, combined with the legalization of cannabis in more and more states and the opening of dispensaries, only further normalizes acceptance of and interest in marijuana.

Photo by Martin-dm/Getty Images

People are turning to the vape

While this recent survey is a very revealing look at how much Americans smoke and what they choose to smoke, it doesn’t take into account the newest popular oral vice – vaping. Vaping has become mainstream in society and is no longer considered the “fad” it once was. In fact, according to another Gallup Poll“Eight percent of Americans say they have smoked or ‘vaped’ e-cigarettes in the past week — consistent with numbers recorded by Gallup in 2019 (8%) and 2021 (6%).”

This is a number to watch out for, because if it keeps increasing, the number of those addicted to nicotine could still outnumber those who indulge in THC, even as cigarettes are declining.

Where the numbers lead

As tobacco smoking becomes less popular and often more expensive, it will likely continue to trend downward. Marijuana, on the other hand, seems to be growing in popularity as it legally finds its way into more and more states.

With New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and others opening (or having already opened) their marijuana retail doors, there’s likely to be a surge in regular marijuana users. If you build it, they will eventually come – or at least that’s the case if what you’re building is a weed-filled shop.