SAMHSA: South has strongest perceived risk from marijuana use

National data indicated that the southern region of the U.S. had the highest percentage of individuals who perceived great risk of harm from marijuana use, while the western region had the lowest.

“This report provides a very detailed understanding of marijuana use and perception patterns in communities across the nation,” Frances Harding, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention at SAMHSA, said in a press release. “This information can help public health officials and others better gauge the marijuana-related prevention and treatment needs in their communities and fine-tune their programs and services to best address them.”

Frances Harding

To assess marijuana use and attitudes about risks associated with marijuana, researchers analyzed 2012 to 2014 data from the National Survey on Drug Abuse and Health for individuals aged 12 years and older in 362 substate regions.

Overall, an average 20.3 million individuals used marijuana in the past month annually, indicating 7.73% of individuals, or approximately one in 13, used marijuana in the past month.

Past-month marijuana use occurred in 9.7% of individuals in the West census region, 8.36% in the Northeast, 7.28% in the Midwest and 6.43% in the South.

Of the 16 substate regions with the highest percentages of past-month marijuana use, eight were in the West, seven were in the Northeast and one was in the South.

An average 74.9 million individuals, or 28.5%, perceived great risk of harm from using marijuana once a month.

Approximately 32.6% of individuals in the South, 26.56% in the Northeast, 26.11% in the Midwest and 25.64% in the West perceived great risk of harm from past-month marijuana use.

At the substate level, perceptions of great risk of harm from past-month marijuana use ranged from 14.15% in the ward 3 in Washington, D.C. to 49.29% in Florida’s combined circuits 11 and 16.

All 16 substate regions with the highest percentages of great risk of harm were located in the South.

Of the 16 substate regions with the lowest percentages of great risk of harm, 10 were in the Northeast, four were in the South and two were in the West.

“Across the U.S., discourse continues over the public health implications of marijuana use in the general public, the media, the substance use research community, and among federal, state, and local policymakers. Marijuana use in the general population is an ongoing challenge for the nation as a whole and for the states individually. As states continue to examine their laws regarding marijuana use, monitoring national, regional, state, and substate estimates of marijuana use and attitudes toward use may also help state and local policymakers plan for and allocate resources to address marijuana use,” the researchers concluded. – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

Reference:

Hughes A, et al. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. CBHSQ report: Marijuana use and perceived risk of harm from marijuana use varies within and across states. Available at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data. Accessed July 26, 2016.