I am in the late, very late, 20’s and most of my friends, neighbors, even a lot of coworkers smoke pot. In fact my mother and father have, here and there. So I was wondering, what percentage or in your opinion, what % of people that you have encountered as of late, smoke weed? And are they occasional or habitual smokers that you are referring to… 
85 percent of the ppl I know have or currently smoke pot, most are btwn habitual to occasional. It was funny because during new years eve concert seeing the tragically hip the ppl beside us on both ends in front and behind were smoking pot too. My parents havent nor have their family friends, but amongst my peers most have.
Well, national statistics from NIDS indicate that in 2001, 12 million adults over age 12 used marijuana in the past month. That is less than 10 percent of the population. http://www.drugabuse.gov/Infofax/marijuana.html
Essentially, people who use marijuana tend to hang out with other people who use marijuana, leading to statements like “almost everybody smokes marijuana”.
I would agree that people hang with others who have similarities such as smoking pot. However I do not understand how that study could be accurate. I know of many people who have not ever been asked. In fact, no one has asked me if I smoke since 12th grade, which I do not. But, I did when I was asked and I lied. I do believe that more than 10% smoke but I never said “everyone does it”. I appreciate your opinion though, thats what I am looking for. Oh, and I read that entire study and the percentage of 12th graders (asked) that had ever used was up to 49.0 % in 2001. That seems pretty high to me 
Depends on where you are and who you associate with. My school seems to have a high percentage of people who smoke - It’s a rather “urban” school, and to be expected. High percentage of morons there too. Not that “pot smoker” is a synonym for moron in any way, though.
I’d say now that I’m out of college, less than 5% (smoke it at all, never mind habitually). When I was in college and high school about 10%. There are more cigarette smokers, but still not many of them either. Maybe smoking anything is becoming passe’
I know more people who smoke pot than people who smoke cigarettes.
The “it’s who you hang with” is probably very accurate. When I was in my early 20’s I smoked pot, and so did a whole helluva lot of people I knew.
Now I’m in my mid-30’s, and almost nobody I know does, and neither do I. It seems like everyone’s into things like mortgages, kids, work etc. Myself included. I get the sense that the attitude is ‘if you’re in your 30’s and still smoking pot, time to get a life.’
That’s more of an indication of how many people are willing to admit to smoking marijuana in a survey sponsored by a government that considers marijuana use to be a crime punishable by pretty severe penalties than an indicator of actual usage.
I would agree though, that demographics have a lot to do with your perception. In the crowd that I grew up with, just about everyone smoked pot. In most of the companies I worked for throughout my twenties, nearly everyone smoked pot. Then I started hanging with a sort of churchy crowd, where about half the folks smoked pot, but didn’t broadcast it, and only indulged late at night, with a towel blocking the bottom of the apartment door.
Now I now a bunch of older folks, largely from Taiwan & Hong Kong. I’d be real surpised if any of those folks ever pulled out a hash-pipe. A couple of them sure can drink, though.
I live in BC, though, your experience may vary.
Ditto.
And I don’t smoke anything.
I work in the bar/restaurant industry, so I know a lot of highschool students and the under-21 crowd…and from my angle, it seems to me as if more kids smoke weed than get drunk these days, b/c weed’s easier to get than alcohol if you’re underage. (Which is sad, but what can you do?)
I also know a lot of people who don’t drink at all, or drink very rarely; they just smoke pot.
I don’t smoke pot at all; I tried it twice in college, and it made me violently ill. Nor do I have any pothead friends; there’s a mentality that goes along with smoking pot that just usually doesn’t jive with me. (I also know several fortyish people who smoke out regularly; I don’t know why, but pot seems to me to be something you should outgrow.)
I suspect that this is another example of a newbie wandering onto this Board, & mistaking it for a narcotics-oriented site.
For the record, this message board is not about drugs.
Aside from that Bosda the OP brings to light a topic that has been discussed many times on the board, yes, but also the statistics of people smoking pot in the US is staggering.
I have another thread in this forum about marijuana and college students. I happen to be an instructor at a college who thinks marijuana is an integral part of the experimentational period of most American youth. Altered states - not the William Hurt kind - help people understand the world does not have to look the same all the time. And I much rather see kids smoking a little grass than injecting heroin or snorting cocaine. Grass is much better than those. Though it is a drug, and it is illegal, I can not say with any form of truth that I have not smoked in my adult life. Because I have, not like I did when I was in college, but occasionally when I go back to my home town, and have a beer with my old buddies, we’ll smoke a little after, and talk anout life, love and our impending new family!! wink wink.
So in essence, the OP does not surprise me and if I were to guess, I’d say that it is a curiosity that infects many throughout the country not just on these boards…
It’s your age.
In college, I know a lot of folks who smoked up regularly. I’m in my mid-20s now, and while I don’t hang out with any serious stoners anymore, most of my friends will indulge while at a party. Heck, my 60 year old aunt lights up at Christmas!
I don’t smoke at all. I know some college-type profesors and their kin who smoke dope, I know a bunch of people who smoke cigarettes.
I believe it should be legalized and can’t understand why it has not yet been. I know only a very few who have never tried it (myself included) and I don’t view it to be any worse than drinking.
Forgive me, but for one instant I imagined your Aunt being used instead of the Xmas tree !
[sub]I’ll go quietly now … [/sub]
I’m in my early 40’s, and none of my friends smoke pot. I have, years ago, a few times. I haven’t smoked any at all in over 7 years, and don’t intend to. Several of my friends admit to having smoked it when they were younger. Hubby, who is one year older than me, never has (although he did eat some hash brownies at a party about 18 years ago).
The insurance company lobbyists have made sure we don’t indulge by drug testing. You can’t get a good job today if you do light up. If its going to effect your life to the extent of its economic value of your livelyhood, by all means its not worth it.
It’s very difficult to say because, as others have pointed out, it depends so much on the group of people. Some of my friends are complete stoners, others would never touch a joint… Personally, I think smoking weed is much nicer than drinking alcohol. It tends to have a better effect on people - you never see anyone getting violent or aggressive after smoking weed, now do you?