Marijuana is now larger than tobacco in the US, according to a new Gallop poll

Gallup poll shows cannabis use has overtaken tobacco use in the US for the first time

For the first time in history, more people smoke cannabis than tobacco.

Cannabis use is at an all-time high, according to the results of a new Gallup poll. In particular, they found that only 11% of Americans still smoke cigarettes, up from 45% in the mid-1950s. Meanwhile, 16% of Americans admitted to using marijuana. Almost half said they had tried it at some point in their lives, while in 1969 only 4% were marijuana users.

The Gallup poll has long been a mirror of how consumer behavior has changed over the years and decades, with increasing acceptance and use of marijuana being a growing trend. This is also reflected in the economy and the law, as more states are legalizing the drug than ever before, while more people are giving up tobacco use due to its proven risks.

“Cigarette smoking is clearly on the decline and will most likely become even rarer in the years to come,” explains Dr. Frank Newport, Senior Scientist at Gallup. “This reflects both public awareness of its negative effects and ongoing government efforts at all levels to limit its use,” he adds.

It is fantastic news for the general public and public health that cigarette smoking is at its lowest level ever recorded by Gallup since they first began collecting data in 1944. It’s even better that Americans are changing their attitude towards cannabis use; more people now know that it is safer than tobacco. As of this writing, 38 states have legalized marijuana for medical use, while recreational use is still illegal in many states. Despite this, the number of cannabis users continues to rise each year as Gallup notes that support for legalizing the drug consistently hits record highs each year.

The first time most Americans supported legalizing marijuana, according to their poll, was in 2013. Then, in 2020, the majority of adults in the United States, regardless of education, gender, income, or age, were in favor of legalization. It differed only when considering religion and political party.

“It should be noted that some authorities are arguing that marijuana is quite dangerous, particularly for young adults, and it’s possible that attitudes towards its use could change as focus on the harms of marijuana increases in the years to come.” ‘ said Newport.

Other surveys show the same results

More research, education, and widespread acceptance, as well as legal cannabis laws, are helping more people gain access to marijuana every day. The numbers are expected to only increase from here, reflected in American support for marijuana legalization.

There have been other polls reflecting similar things.

In May 2022, a YouGov poll found that a significant majority of Americans, regardless of their political affiliations, either support legalizing marijuana nationally or believe states should be able to set their own marijuana policies . It also showed that 7 out of 10 people who voted for President Biden support cannabis legalization, even though he currently opposes it.

The YouGov poll clearly shows that the ban is no longer attractive to the majority. They also found that 45% of participants think the drug should be legalized across the country, and only 17% think cannabis should remain illegal. Meanwhile, 13% said they were unsure on the matter.

A few months earlier, a poll by the SSRS found that 69% of the public supports the legalization of recreational cannabis, while 92% think it should be legalized for medical use. The SSRS poll also showed that 58% of Americans agree cannabis is safer than alcohol. “Voters support the legalization of marijuana regardless of political party affiliation,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armetano. “At a time when national politics remains acutely polarized, elected officials should come together in a bipartisan manner to reverse failed cannabis prohibition policies. It is one of the few political reforms that voters from right and left can agree on,” he said.

When will the federal government agree with the American people?

Pres. Joe Biden has repeatedly said he will work on cannabis policy reform during his campaign, but unfortunately he is not delivering on his promises. However, he has to listen to his people who believe it should be legal.

On the other hand, federal legalization is still a dream. But if you listen to the polls, you’ll see just how popular marijuana legalization already is, and we can only hope it changes Biden’s mind. We’ll have to pay attention to that in the coming months.

Legal cannabis is already one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. In 2021 alone, medical and adult sales reached $25 billion, and experts estimate they could reach $100 billion in 2030. There is a tremendous financial and economic opportunity that is being missed every day if we don’t legalize marijuana at the federal level. We also need to be able to first address the banking hurdles facing the legal cannabis industry, particularly a piece of legislation that aims to change the way banking is done: the Safe and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (SAFE ), which has already been adopted six times since it was first proposed in 2013. Once signed into law, it would prevent federal agencies from penalizing banks that decide to open stores for legal marijuana businesses. These cannabis companies will finally be able to access financial services and allow people to pay with debit and credit cards.

There are countless other bills that have been doing the rounds, all aimed at reducing the burden on the legal cannabis industry — which is badly needed. Let’s see how things develop over the next few months.

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