In comparison to 12 years ago, about 10 million more Americans now smoke pot, according to a study published in the British medical journal Lancet. The study’s author, Wilson M. Compton, said “we certainly expected, based on other research, to find an increase.” He added, “It’s well known in the U.S. that the laws related to marijuana have been changing; we’ve seen a number of states passing laws to allow marijuana for medical purposes.” The study drew from data through the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2002 to 2014. Compton said he was most surprised at the uptick in “how many people there are using marijuana in a daily or near-daily basis”—a figure that doubled to 8.4 million from 3.9 million.
