Survey: More US adults use marijuana, don't think it's risky

NEW YORK (AP) — Marijuana use is becoming more accepted among U.S. adults as states loosen pot laws, new national survey data shows.

"If anything, science has shown an increasing risk that we weren't as aware of years ago," said Compton, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Other research has increasingly linked marijuana use to mental impairment, and early, heavy use by people with certain genes to increased risk of developing psychosis, he noted.

— No increase was seen in reported marijuana use disorders, like impaired memory, difficulty thinking and withdrawal symptoms like cravings, sleeplessness and depression.

Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws, and starting in 2014, Colorado and Washington began allowing recreational sales.

[...] research drawn from another large survey has shown marijuana use among high school students has been falling.