50 years ago, researchers thought Americans outgrew marijuana

Marijuana commission finds usage high — Science News, January 29, 1972

Approximately 24 million Americans have used marijuana at least one time. A national survey reports that more than 8 million are still using the drug.… Usage figures are 33 percent higher than the [National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse] had expected, but … after age 25 pot smoking falls off rapidly.

Update

Americans’ interest in marijuana has grown over the last 50 years. Since 1972, the number of people age 12 and older in the United States who, in their lifetimes, have inhaled or ingested the drug has increased more than fivefold, to 126.5 million as of 2020, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The gain in users happened as the perceived danger of marijuana dropped over time (SN: 6/14/14, p. 16). And unlike in the 1970s, older adults are getting in on the action, though prevalence has risen among adults of all ages. Of the 49.6 million people who reported using pot in 2020, about 47 percent were ages 26 to 49, and about 24 percent were 50 or older.