Cannabis Facts

Cannabis usage isn’t new. It’s not dangerous. And it shouldn’t be stigmatized.

We believe that the best way to combat misinformation about cannabis is to spread the truth. That’s why we’ve compiled over 100 facts about marijuana, including cannabis history facts, facts about cannabis law, cannabis health facts, facts about the science of cannabis, and even facts about the cultural impact of cannabis.

Join us in sharing these, and together we can help turn the tide.

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  1. Japan has the most expensive cannabis in the world, at $32 per gram.
  2. Jakarta, Indonesia has the least expensive cannabis in the world, at $3.79 per gram.
  3. As of 2018, there have been zero deaths caused by cannabis overdose.
  4. The word “marijuana” may come from the Chinese ma ren hua, meaning “hemp seed flower.”
  5. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “cannabis” was first used in 1548.
  6. Burnt cannabis seeds have been found in Siberian burial mounds dating to 3000 B.C.
  7. Cannabis plants can grow up to 18 feet tall.
  8. Legalizing cannabis in all states could generate over $8 billion in annual tax revenue.
  9. According to the World Health Organization, over half of all narcotics seizures worldwide are cannabis.
  10. 147 million people worldwide use cannabis.
  11. In 1978, an average marijuana sample contained 1.37% THC. By 2008, it had grown to 8.52%.
  12. By 2009, the strongest marijuana sample ever tested contained 37.20% THC.
  13. Bill Gates has admitted to smoking cannabis in the past and continues to support recreational legalization.
  14. 58% of adults in the U.S. have tried cannabis.
  15. 70% of Americans agree that alcohol is more dangerous than marijuana.
  16. Forensic evidence shows that William Shakespeare likely smoked marijuana.
  17. As of 2017, 22% of American CEOs were women, compared to 36% in the cannabis industry.
  18. Irvin Rosenfeld holds the Guinness world record for the most marijuana consumed by one person at over 115,000 joints.
  19. In 1619, Jamestown colony residents were required by law to grow hemp.
  20. In 2011, 33 Chilean miners were trapped underground for 69 days. They were given marijuana to help pass the time.
  21. Richard Nixon once accidentally smuggled three pounds of marijuana for jazz legend Louis Armstrong.
  22. Marijuana is legal in North Korea. It can be purchased at supermarkets.
  23. Terpenes are organic compounds that produce distinctive tastes and smells in different strains of both cannabis and beer hops.
  24. In 1456, the first Gutenberg Bible was printed on hemp paper.
  25. Cameron Diaz once bought marijuana from Snoop Dog when they were both still in high school.
  26. Scythians vaporized hash as early as 450 B.C.
  27. The origins of the word “Marijuana” are still hotly debated.
  28. The lead actor in 1987’s iconic “this is your brain on drugs” PSA voted in favor of recreational marijuana legalization in 2016.
  29. In 1938, marijuana “expert” Dr. James Munch testified under oath that smoking cannabis turned him into a bat.
  30. “Muggles” was a slang term for cannabis in the 1930s.
  31. Smelling black peppercorns can help reduce an unwanted cannabis high.
  32. Iceland has the highest percentage of cannabis users at 18.3%.
  33. “420” predates the high five by six years.
  34. The largest cannabis greenhouse on earth is in Nigeria. It is over 350,000 square feet.
  35. As of 2017, the strongest cannabis strain was Nova OG, at 35.6% THC.
  36. The longest joint of all time was 106 feet and required over two pounds of cannabis.
  37. CBD can severely reduce the length, frequency, and severity of epileptic seizures.
  38. THC can slow the formation of amyloid plaques, which may cause Alzheimer’s disease.
  39. A 2012 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that marijuana improved lung capacity.
  40. Ongoing research shows that cannabis may help protect the brain after a stroke or concussion.
  41. Americans have over 200 words for cannabis.
  42. In North Korea, cannabis is promoted as a healthier alternative to tobacco.
  43. In 1876, the Sultan of Turkey gifted marijuana to the United States.
  44. Cannabis seeds contain all essential amino acids.
  45. Cannabis is indigenous to Central and South Asia.
  46. Cannabis can take 3-6 months to grow outdoors, or 2-3 months indoors.
  47. Dennis Peron co-authored the U.S.’s first successful medical cannabis bill, California Proposition 215. He died in January 2018, shortly after California began recreational cannabis sales.
  48. Both Colorado and Washington legalized the recreational use of marijuana in November of 2012.
  49. 2 years after voting to legalize marijuana, Colorado became the first state to begin recreational sales.
  50. Colorado’s marijuana sales grew by 47% between 2014 and 2017.
  51. In 2017, Colorado’s marijuana sales totaled $1.49 billion.
  52. Colorado’s cannabis sales for 2017 generated $247.7 million in tax revenue.
  53. Colorado’s cannabis tax revenue helps to fund rebuilding schools, drug prevention, health care, and more.
  54. The word “cannabis” is related to the word “canvas,” as canvas used to be made out of hemp paper.
  55. Bob Marley was buried with the Bible, his guitar, and a nugget of marijuana.
  56. Bhang, a smoothie-like preparation of marijuana originating on the Indian subcontinent, dates back over 3000 years.
  57. The first flag of America, created by Betsy Ross, was woven from hemp fibers.
  58. As early as 6000 B.C., China used marijuana seeds as a source of food.
  59. Canada was the first country in the world to offer medicinal cannabis to patients in 2003.
  60. As of October 2017, 64% of Americans were in favor of legalizing adult-use cannabis.
  61. Marijuana can help treat glaucoma by lowering the intraocular pressure of the eye
  62. The Republican party’s support of legalizing recreational marijuana jumped from 35% in 2015 to 51% in 2018.
  63. A 2007 study found that Cannabidiol may be able to turn off the Id-1 gene and stop the progression of cancer.
  64. In 1996, California was the first state to legalize the medical use of marijuana.
  65. While hemp is the same species as cannabis plants, it lacks enough THC to produce psychoactive effects.
  66. IRS section 280E bars marijuana businesses from filing for typical tax reductions, increasing their income taxes by up to 90%.
  67. Dying from a cannabis overdose would require you to smoke nearly 2,000 pounds in 15 minutes.
  68. The historical Mayflower ship’s caulking, sails, and ropes were all constructed from hemp fibers.
  69. As of 2018, highway fatalities have dropped to a historical low since Colorado legalized the recreational use of cannabis.
  70. The first documented use of medicinal marijuana was in 2737 B.C. by Chinese emperor Shen Nung, citing its effectiveness in treating painful ailments.
  71. The Rastafarian religion, which originated in Jamaica, considers cannabis to be a sacred sacrament.
  72. The first thing ever sold online was a bag of marijuana. The deal was conducted over the Arpanet in 1971 by Stanford college students.
  73. The first two drafts of The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper.
  74. The United States outlawed marijuana in 1937. Before that it was completely legal to own, sell and ingest.
  75. Until the 1880s, almost all paper in the U.S. was made from hemp.
  76. William Randolph Hearst lobbied for marijuana prohibition because hemp farming threatened his paper company.
  77. William Randolph Hearst changed “marihuana” to “marijuana” to play on the U.S.’s racist sentiments towards Mexico.
  78. Roman physicist Cladius Galen prescribed marijuana for flatulence.
  79. Queen Victoria used cannabis for her menstrual pain.
  80. The U.S. essentially banned cannabis in 1937 with the Marihuana Tax Act by requiring a $100 tax on each ounce. Today that would cost over $1,700.
  81. The American Medical Association heavily opposed banning cannabis in 1937.
  82. Prior to being banned in 1937, 28 varieties of cannabis extract were available for medical use.
  83. Victor Hugo, author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Alexandre Dumas, author of The Three Musketeers, were both members of Club des Hashischins, a club of writers who enjoyed heavy hashish use.
  84. New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia commissioned a study of cannabis effects in the 1940s, finding no evidence of addiction or withdrawal. The federal government ignored it.
  85. While addressing Congress in 1977, President Jimmy Carter recommended legalizing up to an ounce of cannabis for personal use.
  86. Federal spending on drug control increased from $1.5 billion in 1989 to $18.5 billion in 2000.
  87. Cannabis was formally outlawed in the U.S. in 1970 with the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention & Control Act.
  88. Cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning that it should have a very high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use.
  89. In the 1960s, only 3% of US citizens aged 18-25 had used cannabis. By 1970, that number increased to 40%.
  90. Only female cannabis plants produce buds that can be smoked.
  91. In 2000, 734,500 people were arrested for marijuana possession in the U.S.
  92. In 1996, California became the first state to allow medical cannabis use with Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act.
  93. The first pro-cannabis lobby, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, was founded in 1970.
  94. CBD is converted to THC as a cannabis plant flowers.
  95. Cannabis contains 421 chemicals belonging to 18 different chemical classes.
  96. THC is fat soluble, but not water soluble.
  97. Until the mid 20th century, tinctures and baked goods were the most popular way to ingest cannabis.
  98. You cannot get high from eating cannabis in its natural form.
  99. In the 1998 Winter Olympics, snowboarding gold medalist Ross Rebagliati was disqualified after testing positive for marijuana.
  100. Cannabis can be vaporized at 356°F, though some of its compounds require higher temperatures to combust.
  101. In 2008, a British man was sentenced to four years in Dubai prison for cannabis possession. .003g of cannabis, or about one grain of sand, was found stuck to his shoe.
  102. The Uyghurs, a Muslim minority of China, are large producers and consumers of hashish.
  103. A 2009 bust in Fresno, CA, resulted in 82 arrests and the seizure of more than 330,000 cannabis plants.
  104. In Malaysia, the sentence for planting just one cannabis seed is life in prison. The sentence for possessing more than 200 grams is death by hanging.
  105. In Nevada, dispensaries may only have two fonts on their signs.
  106. In Arizona, cannabis businesses must pay $2,500 if they move to a new location or change their name.
  107. In Connecticut, dispensaries cannot have lighted signs.
  108. In Washington D.C., cannabis cannot be sold at any business that also sells gasoline.
  109. In 1976, a prankster used black and white curtains to make the “Hollywood” sign read “Hollyweed.”
  110. Cannabis dispensaries outnumber Starbucks in Denver by 3 to 1.
  111. Under the right conditions, a cannabis plant can grow two inches in a single day.
  112. In Bhutan, pigs are fed cannabis to increase their appetite.
  113. In World War II, the U.S. government mixed cannabis into cigarettes for detainees as a “truth serum.”
  114. In California, as much as 9% of residential electricity use goes towards indoor cannabis grows.
  115. Cannabis pollen was found in the tomb of Ramesses II of Egypt, who died over 3,000 years ago.
  116. In ancient Greece, cannabis was used to dress horse wounds.
  117. Massachusetts was the first state to outlaw cannabis in 1911.
  118. The 1936 propaganda film Reefer Madness was not allowed to show cannabis usage.
  119. In 1972, NORML screened propaganda film Reefer Madness at college campuses as part of a donation drive to support marijuana legalization. It raised over $16,000.
  120. Tommy Chong claims to have smoked marijuana with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jimi Hendrix, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Keith Moon, and all of the Beatles except Paul.
  121. Cheech Marin was the first Celebrity Jeopardy champion.
  122. Over 25% of all cannabis businesses in the US were founded by women.
  123. Approximately 70% of cannabis companies do not have bank accounts.
  124. In 2016, Colorado collected $109 in cannabis taxes, versus $44.5 million in alcohol taxes.