A Higher Authority

In what could be described as a feel good story, more adults are turning to good old hemp, aka cannabis or marijuana, these days:

Habitual marijuana use increased among U.S. adults over the past decade, particularly among young minorities and baby boomers, government figures show.

The prevalence of marijuana abuse or dependence climbed from 1.2 percent of adults in 1991-92 to 1.5 percent in 2001-02, or to an estimated 3 million adults 18 and over.

The data represent statistical estimates from two nationally representative surveys that each queried more than 40,000 adults.

If nothing else, the data shows that survey planners apparently trust pot smokers to tell them the truth; however, I recall an article in the New York Times Magazine years ago about a big cannabis convention in Amsterdam. Asked whether they preferred organically grown hemp or hydroponic, some 60 percent chose the former--while another 60 percent or so opted for the latter. It must depend on what the definition of "prefer" is.