The latest survey from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) finds that Americans consumed large quantities of illicit drugs in 2020. Blame the pandemic, or marijuana legalization, or the opioid crisis: more than 20 percent of people ages 12 or older (or 59.3 million individuals) used such drugs last year, including 18 percent who consumed marijuana. Of that number, young adults ages 18 to 25 were the most likely to use pot (nearly 35 percent) compared to 16 percent of those ages 26 or older. Nearly 3 million Americans initiated marijuana use. Almost 10 million people misused opioids last year, mostly prescription pain medications. The survey, based exclusively on in-person interviews, also revealed that nearly two-thirds of adolescents who vape didn’t use any other tobacco products, unlike older nicotine users.
Meanwhile, with marijuana legalization comes changing perceptions about the drug, and how and why consumers use it. A story in Ad Week tells us that the clichéd image of the lazy stoner who only lives to get high is being replaced by the legal-weed generation which integrates cannabis into work, fitness, intimacy, and hobbies, according to a new study of weed fans in California by a cannabis delivery platform. For example, 43 percent of those surveyed said they “microdose” marijuana before clocking in for their job, while others pair cannabis with cooking and workouts. However, more than 20 percent use cannabis to relieve stress and improve their mental health than for any other reasons.
And finally, while Californians are finding new ways to integrate pot into their lives, the New York Times reports that the Japanese government has doubled down on its hardline position toward the drug. It is even ramping up arrests of citizens who indulge and is trying to stop the influx of marijuana-friendly information into the country. Unlike the U.S, where 19 states have legalized recreational marijuana, Japan has some of the most restrictive cannabis laws in East Asia, a region known for its intolerance of drugs. Only 2 percent of Japanese have reported using pot, compared to almost half of all Americans.