Pot smoking hits 35-year 'high' in colleges

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WPVI) -- College students are now smoking more marijuana than cigarettes.

This is the first time pot use has surpassed tobacco use.

The study, released on Tuesday, showed that the proportion of students surveyed who used some type of illicit drug in 2014 rose to 40 percent, up from 34 percent in 2006.

The report was in "Monitoring the Future," an ongoing project by the University of Michigan.

Six percent of those questioned said they use marijuana daily, a marked increase from the 3.5 percent that admitted to daily use in 2007.

That's up about 3-percent from just 7 years ago.

With legal marijuana becoming more and more available, most believe that use on college campuses will continue to increase.

Some say that could be due in large part to diminishing concerns about health consequences.

Unlike smoking cigarettes, marijuana use isn't associated with a barrage of health problems, but some scientists say that could be false security.

Researchers say students are getting the message about the dangers of cigarettes.

And the public perception of marijuana is changing.

However, some are concerned about the rising acceptance of pot on college campuses, fearing it suggests a wider trend that could extend to even younger generations.