As conversations and research about marijuana become less taboo, there are some very interesting statistics being released, which we're pretty sure you have not heard of yet(maybe some). Scientists are making new shocking discoveries each day and researchers are conducting more and more polls.
Let's kick it off...
Usage
1. 51% of Americans have reported trying marijuana at least once, a jump from the 34% reported in 1997. ( Source: CBS Polls)
2. Globally, at least 5% of the population has tried marijuana but this number is probably unrealistically low because of stigma attached to the drug. (Source: World Drug Report)
3. Over 12% of Americans use marijuana at least once per year. (2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health)
4. Marijuana has always been legal in North Korea because it's not considered a drug. (Source: VICE)
5. In a 2016 survey, researchers found that teen marijuana use hadn't changed much in the last three years, including in states with legalized marijuana. (Source: Monitoring the Future)
6. The "gateway drug" myth has largely been debunked--if anything, alcohol is the most common gateway drug. (Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence)
7. College students are increasing their overall marijuana consumption (38% in 2016 compared to 30% in 2006) but daily marijuana use and narcotics use have dropped significantly.
8. Hemp, a type of non-psychoactive marijuana plant, can be used to create sustainable biofuels. (Source: Phys.org)
9. Famous astronomer Carl Sagan wrote an essay on the benefits of marijuana under a pseudonym in 1969. (Source: Azarius)
10. Although driving while inebriated is never recommended, no studies have shown a clear link between car crashes and marijuana use. (Source: NORML)
11. In Washington State, over 29,940,896 grams of marijuana have been produced--at least 4 grams per citizen. (Source: Washington State Marijuana Impact Report)
12. Researchers have uncovered old tombs in China that contained marijuana plants. One body, dated 2400 to 2800 years old, was covered in high-THC content plants that had been pruned--suggesting that the marijuana was being used medically or recreationally. (Source: Economic Botany)
13. Alaska legalized small amounts of marijuana for personal use in 1975, making it the first state to officially legalize the plant. (Source: Ravin v. State)
14. George Washington grew hemp plants on his plantation in Mount Vernon. (Source: George Washington's Mount Vernon)
15. Modern marijuana is 57-67% stronger than strains grown in the 1970s. (Source: Drug Testing and Analysis)
Business
16. States with legalized marijuana have generated huge amounts of revenue in taxes--in Colorado, marijuana tax revenue just passed $200 million as of February 2017. (Source: MarketWatch)
17. CBS's MoneyWatch predicts that legal marijuana could become a $44 billion business by the year 2020. That's 3 years from now folks! (Source: MoneyWatch)
18. Scientists have recently collaborated with MSP Technology to design marijuana grow houses that will reduce energy use by up to 65% thanks to a special dehumidifier that reuses water. (Source: Western Cooling Efficiency Center-UC Davis)
19. Recent studies conducted in 2015 and 2016 have shown slight drops (about 2%) in beer sales in states that have legalized marijuana. (Source: Business Insider)
20. Experts have suggested that ending marijuana prohibition could both save the government money by reducing law enforcement costs while generating additional tax revenue, over $40 billion a year. (Source: CATO Institute)
21. Legalized marijuana is one of the fastest growing businesses, with a 26% compound growth rate each year. (Source: Arcview Market Report)
22. In a 2017 business report, the marijuana industry was predicted to produce up to 300,000 new jobs by the year 2020. (Source: The Cannabis Industry Annual Report)
23. Chocolate and other candies are the most popular marijuana edibles as edible sales continue to skyrocket. (Source: BDS Analytics)
24. At least eight celebrities have released their own marijuana product lines, including Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, and Whoopi Goldberg. (Source: Toronto Sun)
25. Oregon currently has the cheapest marijuana prices in the country, with an average cost of $204 an ounce--a steal compared to the $324 national average. (Sources: Forbes)
26. Microsoft took an interest in legal marijuana in 2016 and began tracking sales statistics by partnering with KIND Financial. (Source: Business Insider)
27. Medical marijuana legalization saved Medicare programs $165.2 million in 2013 because patients began to use less prescription drugs, especially painkillers. (Source: Health Affairs)
Medical
28. Recent experiments, including a brand new 2017 study, are revealing additional chemical mechanisms that make marijuana the perfect non-addictive treatment for chronic pain. (Source: The Journal of Neuroscience)
29. Cannabinoids have been found to be especially useful in treating chronic pain and spasticity but there is also evidence for marijuana as a treatment for a variety of medical issues. (Source: JAMA)
30. A special marijuana extract (created in 2014) used in conjunction with radio therapy completely eliminated cancerous brain tumors in the majority of treated mice, quickly decreasing tumor volumes by at least 10%. (Source: Molecular Cancer Therapeutics)
31. Deaths caused by opiate overdoses have declined in areas that have legalized medical marijuana. (Source: JAMA Internal Medicine)
32. Marijuana can be used to fight alcohol dependency, with alcohol usage decreasing in patients who used marijuana as an alternative. (Source: Cannabis as a Substitute for Alcohol: A Harm-Reduction Approach)
33. Marijuana is effective at treating PTSD, with 75% of medical marijuana patients reporting a significant decrease in symptoms. (Source: Journal of Psychoactive Drugs)
34. Although associated with the munchies, a John Hopkins study found that marijuana users were less obese on average. (Source: American Journal of Epidemiology)
35. In a 2011 experiment, marijuana CBD (cannabidiol) oils were statistically effective in treating symptoms of fibromyalgia--a disorder with no cures and few available treatments. (Source: PloS One)
36. A five year old girl with a rare form of epilepsy was successfully treated with marijuana oil and her seizures were reduced from about 50 a day to just a couple every month. (Source: Epilepsia)
37. Some doctors have recommended that medical marijuana be administered rectally for maximum absorption--especially for cancer patients who need long-lasting medical effects. (Source: HelloMD)
38. An extract made from CBD, one of the compounds found in marijuana plants, has anti-acne properties and is now being recommended as a potential treatment for adult acne. (Source: The Journal of Clinical Investigation)
39. In a 2015 study, researchers discovered that hunter-gatherers in the Congo not only smoked a lot of marijuana but it also protected them from parasites. (Source: American Journal of Human Biology)
40. Veterinarians are becoming increasingly open to considering medical marijuana for treating pets and many pet owners are already trying CBD oils for their dogs and cats. (Source: American Veterinary Medical Association)