1. Over 25 million Americans claim to use marijuana on a regular basis.
2. Marijuana is the most consumed drug in the United States.
3. Certain studies claim that 800 joints smoked consecutively would kill an individual via carbon monoxide poisoning.
4. The word marijuana is actually a Mexican slang term for the plant, which according to common belief, is derived from the Spanish pronunciation of the names “Mary” and “Jane.”
5. The first recorded use of marijuana for medicinal purposes was in 2737 B.C. by Chinese emperor Shen Nung.
6. Cannabis seeds were a food source in ancient China.
7. From 1850 to 1942, marijuana (which was then legal) could be purchased at any local pharmacy as a treatment for nausea, rheumatism, and labor pains.
8. Marijuana use, sales, or growth was officially made illegal in the US by The Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
9. Research shows that 9% of marijuana users develop an addiction, as opposed to 15% of cocaine users and 24% of heroin users.
10. Legalized marijuana could potentially earn $8.7 billion in federal and state taxes.
11. After Mexico, Paraguay is the world’s largest producer of cannabis.
12. In 2003, Canada became the first country in the world to legalize and distribute medical marijuana.
13. In 1996, California became the first US state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes.
14. Marijuana is not actually legal in the Netherlands. Growing, importing, and distributing the drug is a crime. However, there is an official policy of non-enforcement of laws against the sale or possession of small amounts of marijuana.
15. Amsterdam has about 200 “coffee shops,” selling marijuana.
