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The Top 10 Marijuana States In The Union.

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Support for marijuana legalization in the United States is at an all time high. Most Americans are in favor of legalizing the herb.

Below we list the ten states that use the most marijuana per capita. There is a state, surprisingly to us that is not in the top ten list. Check the list and see if there is any state that you thought would be on the list but is not.

10. New Mexico

A portion of marijuana users in New Mexico, who make up 15.6% of the 12 and over population, are consuming the drug medicinally. New Mexico removed penalties for use and possession for medical use in 2007. Marijuana use has been approved for those suffering from cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, and other conditions.

9. New Hampshire

Since New Hampshire’s governor signed off on House Bill 573 on July 23, 2013, state residents with several serious medical conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and muscular dystrophy, have been able to use marijuana legally. For those who do not qualify for medical use of the drug, possession can result in a year in jail, in tandem with or in lieu of a $2,000 fine.

8. Massachusetts

Nearly 18% of Massachusetts residents 12 years and older have used marijuana in the past year, a higher share than in all but a handful of other states. A relatively high usage rate is due in part to low perceived risk. Only 20.1% of Massachusetts residents age 12 and older think there are serious health risks associated with the drug, one of the smallest such shares in the country.

7. Rhode Island

Marijuana use is relatively common in Rhode Island, with 18.7% of residents 12 years and older reportedly using the drug at least once in the past year. Perhaps not surprisingly, the perceived negative health consequences associated with pot use among state residents is relatively low. Only 20.9% of state residents associate serious health risks with marijuana use. In fact, many marijuana users in the state are likely lighting up for purported health benefits. Since January 3, 2006, state residents with such serious medical conditions as cancer, HIV, and hepatitis C have been allowed to possess up to 2.5 ounces of the drug for medicinal use. Medical marijuana dispensaries, known as compassion centers, have been permitted since 2009.

6. Maine

In Maine, 19.4% of residents 12 years and older have used marijuana in the past year and 12.6% have used the drug in the past month, each the sixth largest share of any state in the country. While marijuana is especially popular in Maine, other illicit drugs are not. Only 2.9% of state residents 12 years and older have used illicit drugs other than pot in the past month, a smaller share than the comparable national 3.3% share.

5. Washington

Washington voters passed Initiative 502 on November 6, 2012, which allowed the state to regulate the sale of recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana has been permitted in the state since 1998. The high percentage of residents using the drug, at nearly one in every five people 12 years and older, is likely tied to the state’s pot-friendly public policy. Legalization has also been very lucrative for the state’s government. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, Washington has generated $210 million in excise taxes from recreational marijuana over the past several years.

4. Alaska

In the past two years, roughly 7,000 Alaskans aged 12 and up tried pot for the first time. First time users are among the 19.5% state residents who have used marijuana in the past year. High usage rates in Alaska may not be surprising, as the state is one of only four in the country to have legalized marijuana possession. Adults 21 and over can legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to six plants. However, penalties for possession of larger amounts of the drug are relatively harsh in Alaska. Anyone caught with 4 ounces of pot can face felony charges, up to five years in jail, and a $50,000 fine.

3. Vermont

Of Vermonters 12 years and older, 19.8% report smoking marijuana in the past year, trailing just two other states. Like every other state on this list, medical marijuana is permitted in Vermont.

2. Oregon

Nearly one in five people aged 12 and older in Oregon have used pot in the past year, the second largest share of any state in the country. In the last two years, 37,000 state residents aged 12 and up tried marijuana for the first time. Perhaps not surprisingly, people in Oregon are among the least likely in the country to have a negative perception of marijuana. Only 18.3% of state residents 12 years and older perceive a great risk in using marijuana once a month, far lower than the 27.8% nationwide share.

1. Colorado

Perhaps it is no surprise that Colorado leads the nation in pot consumption, with 21.6% of residents at least 12 years old reporting using the drug in the past year. Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana, and it is one of only four states where recreational use of the drug is permitted.

Even with the relaxing of marijuana laws across the U.S., Blacks and Hispanics continue to be locked up at an alarming rate.

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