As more states consider legalizing marijuana and people increasingly consider the drug as relatively benign, cannabis use is climbing in the United States. Drug experts worry that as pot becomes more accepted, its use—particularly among young people—will continue to climb.

This bucks a trend seen in other parts of the world. In Europe, for instance, marijuana is statistically on the decline. “However, in the United States, the lower perceived risk of cannabis use has led to an increase in its use,” says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

About 12.1 percent of the population over the age of 12 used marijuana at least once in 2011, compared to 10.3 percent who reported doing so in 2008. That was before voters in Colorado and Washington voted to legalize the substance. In December, Uruguay became the first country to legalize the growth, sale and use of pot nationwide. “Although the general public may perceive cannabis to be the least harmful illicit drug, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of persons seeking treatment for cannabis use disorders in the past decade,” says the UNODC. (New York Daily News)

Paul Asay has written for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for PluggedIn and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He recently collaborated with Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, on his book The Good Dad. He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and his two children. Follow him on Twitter.