Rhode Islanders Smoke the Most Marijuana in the Nation, According to Survey

Rhode Island is the top state for using marijuana and illicit drugs, according to a nationwide survey.

Fourteen percent of Rhode Islanders used marijuana in the past month and 20 percent of Rhode Islanders used marijuana in the previous year, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, Providence Journal reported.

Colorado, the first state to allow recreational sales of marijuana, was second behind Rhode Island. The state reportedly had 12.7 percent of its residents use marijuana in the past month, according to the Journal.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health is an annual survey that interviews with about 70,000 randomly selected individuals, age 12 and older, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each person interviews represents more than 4,500 residents in the United States.

About 900 Rhode Islanders are surveyed by NSDUH each year, the Journal reported.

Rhode Island may be the first state on the east coast to legalize marijuana, according to Alternet.

Regulate Rhode Island, a statewide coalition, is working to end marijuana prohibition. The coalition looks to have the drug taxed similarly to alcohol.