Growing Habit

MORE SMOKING MARIJUANA:

More U.S. adults, especially young minorities and baby boomers, are
habitual users of marijuana.

The prevalence of marijuana abuse or dependence climbed from 1.2
percent of adults in 1991-92 to 1.5 percent in 2001-02, or an
estimated 3 million adults 18 and older.

That represents an increase of 22 percent, or 800,000 people,
according to data from two nationally representative surveys that each
queried more than 40,000 adults.

Among 18- to 29-year-olds, the rate remained stable among whites but
surged by about 220 percent among black men and women, to 4.5 percent
of that population, and by almost 150 percent among Hispanic men, to
4.7 percent.

Among all adults ages 45 to 64, the rate increased by 355 percent, to
about 0.4 percent of that population.

For information on marijuana and the numbers, go to
www.marijuana-info.org/