Pot: An American Pastime

The marijuana culture in America has long been regarded as the "counter culture". However, recent studies and legitimate research suggest otherwise. A survey published this month in PLoS Medicine found that 42% of people surveyed in the United States had tried marijuana at least once. By contrast, only 20% of people surveyed in the Netherlands admitted having tried pot. What's even more interesting is a comment made by Jim Anthony, the chair of the department of epidemiology at Michigan State University. In the PLoS study, Mr. Anthony reports that the high number of cannabis users in the United States may have something to do with an increasing awareness that marijuana may be less toxic than say, alcohol or tobacco.