Smoke Marijuana? Then Know Your Ranking - Compare Your Marijuana Habit to American Averages

We tend to associate with others who share similar traits and interests – this is quite normal; so if you enjoy smoking marijuana then you likely know other people who also enjoy smoking marijuana.

Social comparison: One way that we evaluate the appropriateness of any behavior is by comparing it to the behaviors of the people around us.

So if a lot of people you know smoke marijuana then it probably seems like a normal thing to do and if some people around you smoke more than you do then it probably makes you feel less concerned about your own use.

• When you see others around you smoking this serves to normalize your own habits
• When you observe others around you smoking more than you do, this serves to minimize concerns you might have about the consequences of your own habit
• When a lot of people you know smoke marijuana you may assume that your habit is in a moderate range, compared to most other Americans

What can happen then, if you’re not careful, is that social comparison can give you a skewed perception about what’s really ‘normal’.

So when it comes to drug and alcohol use, looking to the people around you to find what’s normal isn’t always a very effective strategy.

Therefore, instead of comparing with people closest to you… how about seeing how your marijuana habit stacks up against American averages instead?

American Marijuana Habits – Average Frequency of Use

According to SAMHSA, compared to all Americans over the age of 12, if you smoked:

• Once in the past month, you are in the 94th percentile (you smoked more frequently than 94% of Americans)
• 2 or 3 days in the past month you are in the 95th percentile
• 4 to 7 days in the past month you are in the 96th percentile
• 8 to 14 days in the past month you are in the 97th percentile
• 15 to 24 days in the past month you are in the 98th percentile
• 25 or more days in the past month you are in the 99th percentile¹

Of course, people can and do use marijuana without becoming substance abusers or substance dependent, so even if you smoke more frequently than 99% of Americans this does not, in itself, indicate a problem requiring a solution.

However, if you worry that you’re smoking more often than you should, you’ve noticed negative consequences from your habit and you’re having a hard time cutting down or quitting on your own, then you may want to investigate how addiction treatment can help.