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Why Is Weed So Popular In America?

What is so great about weed? Why have Americans been using it for years? You'll find the answers below.

By David LasherPublished 7 years ago 3 min read
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There are many reasons why weed is so popular in America. To start, weed is used for medical reasons. It treats insomnia, anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and more. In addition, weed is a big problem solver when it comes to cancer treatment. Weed can be used to set aside the pain that comes from Chemotherapy. In fact, some patients have said that without weed, they wouldn’t have survived their cancer. Getting high causes most people to feel pleasure and feel a certain sense of ease. With all the advancements in medicine, weed will only play a bigger role in the future of our country.

In addition, weed is all natural and made from the ground. Natural drugs are known to be safer than synthetic drugs. There are no cases of weed causing death or significant damage to one’s body over time. Weed has been around for a long time and is used medically and recreationally by many Americans daily. Almost seven in ten (69%) Americans believe alcohol is more harmful to a person’s health than marijuana. In addition, weed is not that expensive compared to other drugs. It costs about $20 per gram and $60 for an eighth.

Weed is easy to produce. People grow it in their backyards and farms. It is constantly growing each day and is easy to use. It’s a cycle. The more popular weed becomes, the more available it becomes to everyone searching for it. Some states are legalizing it and cannabis cards are available for those who choose to buy it. The main point here is that weed is easy to get and therefore, it’s very popular in America. According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 22.2 million Americans used marijuana in the past year—a significant jump from previous years. According to a 2015 Gallup poll, 44% of Americans have tried marijuana in their lifetime. It seems like every generation seems to embrace weed and that is why it is so popular in the US.

Another reason for the increase in popularity is that most high school/college students are smoking a lot these days. The rate has increased by a wide margin within the last couple of years. This report comes from a running, four-decade-long study of drug, tobacco and alcohol use from the University of Michigan. This most recent example shows that people in their 40s and 50s used far more drugs in their youth than do people in their teens and 20s today. But when it comes to weed, young adults are consuming it at a much higher level than the previous generations did. "For the most part, among both college and high school students their perception of how dangerous [weed] is has dropped like a rock," Lloyd Johnston, a research scientist at the University of Michigan and the lead investigator on the study says. Johnston's studies track how much weed is being used over time. He found out that illicit drugs are becoming obsolete and not being used as much as weed. Synthetic drugs are on the market but don't create the most traffic with college and high school students. With all the free time in college, smoking weed becomes a habit and a good source of fun during downtime. Most students are getting high and either watching Netflix, playing video games, or sleeping. This is common throughout the major schools across the country.

Experts say money, the growing evidence of medicinal benefits, and a widespread perception of pot as a benign non-addictive drug are driving the current push for legalization. States like Washington and Colorado have legalized marijuana for recreational and medicinal use, hoping to regulate and collect additional revenue by taxing drug sales. Overall, weed is booming and there is no denying that it is the most popular drug in America.

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About the Creator

David Lasher

I am a new writer aspiring to become the next Malcom Gladwell. Intern at Jerrick

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