Epilepsy Talk

More people are smoking marijuana than cigarettes! | January 26, 2026

Surprised?

With the legalization of smoking cannabis both for medical and recreational use, it’s clear marijuana’s time has come.

The jury is no longer out. States have been weighing in. And the answer has been a resounding : “Yes”.

Nearly half of U.S. adults have tried marijuana. A massive shift that took place over just a few years.

A decade ago, no states allowed marijuana for recreational use; the first states to legalize cannabis in 2012, Colorado and Washington, did so through voter-driven initiatives.

Virtually all Americans — 95% — think cigarette smoking is harmful. When asked specifically if cigarette smoking is one of the causes of lung cancer, nine out of ten Americans today say yes. And 91% of smokers surveyed said they wish they never started.

“Smoking cigarettes is clearly on the decline and is most likely to become even more of a rarity in the years ahead,” Gallup Senior Scientist Dr. Frank Newport said. “This reflects both public awareness of its negative effects and continuing government efforts at all levels to curtail its use.”

53% of people said in a recent Poll, they think marijuana has positive effects on those who use it.

Here’s how some experts weigh in on marijuana use:

“The amount of money and of legal energy being given to prosecute hundreds of thousands of Americans who are caught with a few ounces of marijuana in their jeans simply makes no sense — the kindest way to put it. A sterner way to put it is that it is an outrage, an imposition on basic civil liberties and on the reasonable expenditure of social energy.” ― William F. Buckley

“In strict medical terms marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough marijuana to induce death. Marijuana in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis marijuana can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care.” — Hon. Francis Young – DEA Administrative Law Judge

“I went to Vietnam, and I was there for a long time. [Using marijuana] made the difference between staying human or, as Michael Douglas said, becoming a beast.” — Oliver Stone

“I do smoke, but I don’t go through all this trouble just because I want to make my drug of choice legal. It’s about personal freedom. We should have the right in this country to do what we want, if we don’t hurt anybody.” — Woody Harrelson

As for cigarettes:

How many times have you heard: “I wish I never started.”

“Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times.” – Mark Twain

“Smoking is hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, and dangerous to the lungs.” — King James I

“Smoking is the perfect way to commit suicide without actually dying…” — Damien Hirst.

“Smoking is the leading cause of statistics.” – Fletcher Knebel

That’s what they’re saying. What about YOU?

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Resources:

https://disa.com/map-of-marijuana-legality-by-state

https://www.vox.com/2021/4/12/22371929/marijuana-legalization-connecticut-biden

https://news.gallup.com/poll/353645/nearly-half-adults-tried-marijuana.aspx

https://news.gallup.com/poll/3553/nine-ten-americans-view-smoking-harmful.aspx

https://norml.org/laws/legalization/

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/marijuana

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