As marijuana has become legalized in more states around the United States, there has been much more research that has gone into the study of marijuana and the qualities that it possesses. On one side people think it is bad because it is a gateway drug and on the other side people boast of its medicinal value that it has in our society. There are interesting facts about marijuana that might make you look at it differently.
Legalization of weed
Colorado and Washington became the first two states to legalize recreational cannabis. Since then, five more states have become legalized for a total of seven. Since 2015, marijuana has been the fastest growing industry in the United States over even that of the organic food market.
420
Many people think that 420 is the police code for marijuana. Well, it is not. Nor is it the date of Bob Marley’s birthday or death. Also, not the number of chemical compounds in cannabis as it contains 315 or the meaning of Bob Dylan’s song, “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” even though 12 multiplied by 35 equals. The real meaning for 420 derives from a high school in California in 1971. A group that named themselves the “Waldos” would meet at 4:20pm to sneak in a joint together which wound up sticking almost 47 years later. The Waldos were a few degrees separated from the Grateful Dead who helped to make it a culture phenomenon that has really blown up from social media posts and hashtags.
Arrests
United States takes around 750,000 people into custody every year for offenses that stem from cannabis whether it be for possession or for being under the influence. Not all arrests lead to any jail time and less than 2 percent of inmates in state and local prisons are incarcerated for sole reasons of possession of marijuana.
Top Countries
According the United Nations, around 160 million people around the world use marijuana in one capacity or another making up approximately 4 percent of the world’s population. The top ten countries in order that consume the most cannabis are Iceland, Zambia, United States, Italy, New Zealand, Nigeria, Canada, Spain, Australia, and Jamaica.
As marijuana becomes more of a force to reckon with, why not learn some fun facts with statistics and history to be better informed of the backstory and current standings? Little by little marijuana has become has taken a bigger role in the country and there is no turning back although awareness is important because it is still a mind-altering substance nonetheless.
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