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Stoner Nation: More Americans Smoke Weed Than Tobacco, Survey Finds

(Photo by JAVIER TORRES/AFP via Getty Images)

Dylan Housman Deputy News Editor
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For the first time ever, more Americans are smoking marijuana than tobacco.

The number of Americans smoking marijuana has reached 16%, the highest portion recorded since the pollster began asking the question in 2013, according to a new Gallup survey released this month. Just 11% of Americans say they’ve smoked cigarettes in the past week, though.

The rate of cigarette smoking was the lowest Gallup has ever recorded, dating back to the 1940s. The highest rate ever recorded was 45% in 1954.

Americans were split on whether or not marijuana has a positive impact on society. 53% said marijuana use has some degree of positive impact on most marijuana users, but only 49% said it had a positive impact on society as a whole.

Marijuana experimentation actually declined slightly between 2021 and 2022, from 49% to 48%. The substance is now fully legalized in 18 states and the District of Columbia however, it is still illegal federally, according to Gallup.

The emergence of e-cigarettes has put a dent in the number of Americans who smoke tobacco products. 8% of Americans reported vaping in the past week, a substantial portion of whom use e-cigarettes as a tool to quit smoking, according to Gallup. (RELATED: Federal Court Blocks FDA’s Juul Ban)

The Gallup poll on marijuana use had a sample size of 1,013 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 4 points, and was conducted between July 5 and 26.