By Steve Elliott
Hemp News
Rhode Islanders use marijuana at the highest rates in the United States, according to a recently released annual survey.
The report originates from a national survey on drug use and health sponsored each year by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, reports Alison Bologna at NBC 10.
In Rhode Island, 14 percent of those 12 and older -- up from 13 percent the previous year -- report having used marijuana in the past month, the highest rate in the nation, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health, reports Richard Salit at the Providence Journal. Rhode Island also led the nation in those who reported having used marijuana in the past year, at 20 percent, up from 19 percent.
Rhode Island is one of 23 states and the District of Columbia that now allow medical marijuana for authorized patients, and a coalition is forming in the state to make it the fifth to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes.
The survey "is probably an accurate portrayal, and one we've seen trending for a long time," said Rebecca Boss, deputy director of the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals. "The why is really hard to answer. I don't necessarily have the answers to why."
