Egads! Did I say AARP? That wasn’t in the script. There are 40,000,000 people in the AARP! I apologize for the error. Here’s the rest of the info:
“…people above the age of 18, 95.9 million of them have tried marijuana… age group 18 to 50, it’s more than 50% of them…” from “Who Are You” post. I just crunched the numbers using the SAMHDA tables and got 95,916,972. Aha, that’s how I’ll use it: “more people have smoked pot than are in the AARP (40,000,000) and Republican Party (55,000,000) combined!”
“…25 million Americans will smoke marijuana once per year…” Well, it’s actually 22 million. Perhaps we can give some latitude for margin of error, based on the theory that we’re talking about adults who’ll admit to a stranger on the phone that they smoked pot last year.
“…that’s more tokers than Texans…” 2008 Census Population Estimate for Texas: 24,326,974
“…that’s more tokers than adult African Americans…” 2000 Census breakdown by race: 23,772,494 African Americans*
“…that’s more tokers than diabetics…” 21 million Americans according to the American Diabetes Association.
“…14 million Americans, adults above 18, will smoke marijuana this month…” Rates of marijuana use have dropped so that only 12,693,122 are monthly smokers, according to SAMHDA.
“…more marijuana smokers once a month than factory workers…” 14,197,300 manufacturing jobs in 2006.
“…Asian Americans…” 13,366,154 Asian Americans* in Census 2007 estimate.
“…or people that watch 60 Minutes…” 9.5 million viewers last week… we’re even close to America’s Got Talent.
“…more people will smoke pot this month than the combined memberships of the NRA, the ACLU, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the National Organization for Women, AARP, and the John Birch Society.” OK, now I’ve found my little notecard that I failed to bring with me to Seattle, sitting here in my office. It wasn’t supposed to be the AARP (40,000,000!), but the NAACP. Hey, two A’s and a P in common and it was approaching 4:20 on the Main Stage of Day Two of Seattle Hempfest. I think I did quite well. Alas, I forgot Greenpeace, PETA, and the Elks Club
- NRA = 4.3 million members
- ACLU = 500,000 members
- NARAL = 1 million members (though current pages won’t give numbers)
- NOW = 500,000 members
- NAACP = 185,000 – 500,000 members
- Greenpeace = 2.9 million members
- PETA = 2 million members
- Elks = 1,000,000 members
- JBS = 55,000 members
- TOTAL = 12.755 million vs. 12.693 million monthly smokers, and that’s giving high estimates to the NAACP and JBS.
“…3.6 million adults will smoke marijuana at least once per day…” Tough number to come by. 8.1 million used marijuana more than 100 days in the past year, and a 2004 NSDUH said there were 3.1 million daily users aged 12 and older. I don’t think 3.6 million is far off. In the future, I’ll call these people “at least once per week” marijuana smokers.
“…more daily smokers than Red Sox fans…” 3,048,250 based on 2008 attendance figures.
“…more daily smokers than new cancer cases…” 1,437,180 according to the American Cancer Society.
“…more daily smokers that the US membership of the Mormon church…” Another tough number. Adherents.org cites 2,697,000 Adult Mormons in 2001, but also cites a 2004 membership of 5,599,177, which I’m guessing counts children and teenagers and I don’t think is fair, partially because I’m referencing adult marijuana smokers and partially because I think only adults should count for church memberships because kids often don’t get to choose.
*These Census figures only count people who answered by choosing one race and doesn’t count many multi-racial people.
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I’ve fired a 50-cal machine gun. It is A LOT of fun. Nothing like an armor-piercing weapon that fires very quickly and hits from up to a mile. Perfect for guys with bad aim like me.
“if marijuana were legalized, there would be less criminal use of guns by those buying and selling marijuana”
Agreed!
Regarding the 50 cal, you have to admit it looks like fun.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5854686068870249151
I’d like to spread the word potter by the way. I think it’s a nice non emotionally driven word that people can use. I hate when my girlfriend who frowns upon my mj use calls me a pothead!
For us Miami People There are 1.6 Million Cuban Americans in the U.S. and we definitely hold a lot of political power against the Embargo.
You have started a new argument Russ. Let’s find other groups that hold more political power yet have less members than pot smokers!
We have to make it clear to every potter (a non condescending term I coined) that they must call their reps, write letters, e-mails, and attend rallies!
You DA MAN RUSS!
Thanks, and the note that the “gun control” quote is used only to reference how the issue is a political third rail from a left-wing perspective. Note I also talk about repealing abortion rights, something I would never support, just to appeal to a right-wing perspective. I’m generally pro-gun – I was in the military and raised in a hunting family. I took hunter safety when I was 12 and have always been comfortable with guns and a big proponent of the good, honest, law-abiding citizens having them (and suicidal young men not having them.)
However, I can’t go all the way with you on the “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” line because of America’s incredible gun violence problem. Guns don’t kill people, Americans with guns kill people. You just cannot deny that compared to every other similar democracy, we have a shameful amount of gun violence.
I am also a 2nd Amendment proponent on the grounds of armed self-defense being the only true way one can preserve one’s inalienable right to life, individually and in the collective “militia” sense. Where it ventures into the “armed citizenry fighting government tyranny” area you lose me a bit, because I don’t think citizens should be stockpiling fighter jets, cluster bombs, and 50-cal machine guns to oppose the Army or police.
Besides, NORML doesn’t really take a stand on gun issues aside from this: if marijuana were legalized, there would be less criminal use of guns by those buying and selling marijuana.
Ooh, thanks for the hook! Check this out:
More annual pot smokers than military veterans (24.9 million).
More weekly (>100 year) pot smokers than Vietnam veterans (8.1 million).
“And was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell, no!”
“Germans?”
“Forget it, he’s rolling.”
I am a member of the NRA, ACLU, NORML, Fleet Reserve Association (there is another you can add to your list when you find out how many retired marines and sailors have joined) and have smoked pot every day since my divorce in 2004 (Non-Stop Freedom Celebration).
Anyway, Russ, you can use the AARP numbers too. I would not have known the error either.
Great speech, Russ! I appreciate your ongoing effects to repeal cannabis prohibition. Even though I don’t consume [currently] illegal substances, I know for the sake of America, Prohibition must stop.
I read you posts several times a week.
Not to take this off topic, but since you mentioned it in the video… Regarding politicians who won’t enact meaningful gun-control. I beg to differ.
We currently have way too much gun control in this country. Almost every law on the books (I believe 20,000) in this country is unconstitutional; a direct violation of the 2nd Amendment to our Constitution.
Guns are not the problem, criminals who misuse them are. Gun control does not stop criminals, but only stops the law-abiding.
I own guns, and carry one almost every time I leave the house. I and millions of other Americans are not any threat to anyone (except the criminal who attempts to commit a violent crime or attempted murder). And yes, I am a member of the NRA.
Free the Weed!
I would never have noticed the error if you hadn’t pointed it out. However, you’re quite right that we must be accurate in our arguements or we lose credibility. But, you were on a roll!
