Weed is growing more respectable. The people that use weed? Less so.

Americans, on average, believe marijuana is less dangerous and addictive than alcohol, according to a survey.

Yet they respect cannabis users far less than drinkers.

In fact, they'd look down on authority figures for using cannabis in a way they wouldn't look down on them for boozing.

Take teachers. About 20 percent of respondents would lose respect for their kids' teacher if they saw her drinking. But 36 percent would lose  respect for teach if they saw her smoking up.

Or cops. Nineteen percent would lose respect for a cop drinking alcohol, but 37 percent would lose respect if they saw the copper using weed.

Or bosses. Ten percent would lose respect for their bosses if they saw them drinking, but 21 percent would lose respect for their boss getting high.

This comes from a survey of 1,000 people from the American Addiction Centers, a for-profit rehab service.

"The study showed cannabis users are judged much more harshly even though the consensus agrees marijuana is less dangerous and addictive," Karina Tissnes, a spokesperson, emailed Rooster.graphic - perceived image of weed vs. alcohol

Other polls have found similar things. Americans are coming around to the same truth 15-year-old experimenting behind schools tend to find: you get into more trouble with alcohol than with weed, but the cool kids are still more likely to be chuggers than tokers.

In the same survey, Americans guesstimated that pot is 25 percent safer than booze, and both drinkers and smokers said they thought marijuana was less addictive. Alcohol raised more concerns for survey takers than cannabis for: bad public behavior, skin appearance, ability to give sexual consent, disease and even facial appearance. 

And, overall, respondents said that if they had to pick just one to be legal, they'd rather have the herb be allowed than the drink.

So they respect cannabis more, think it's overall a better, safer substance that'll mess you up less, and yet they don't respect the actual people that use cannabis? How long until the public perception of the substance changes the perception of the users? How long until weed is more accepted by more folks? When will weed come in from the cold?