Almost Half of Americans Have Smoked Marijuana

And, mostly for fun

More Americans than ever say they've smoked marijuana, but for most of them it doesn't seem to have become a habit.

In a recent Pew Research Center survey, 48% of adults said they had tried marijuana, up from 40% just three years ago. But among that group, just 12% said they had smoked marijuana within the past year.

Among that group, marijuana use is primarily recreational: Nearly half (47%) said they smoked "just for fun," versus 30% who cited a medical issue, while 23% cited both reasons.