Weirdly Interesting: 15 Fascinating Facts About Cannabis

The public’s collective attitude towards weed is starting to change. In 2012, Colorado and Washington made history by becoming the first states in the US to fully legalize recreational cannabis. Since that date, many other states have followed their example.

Here are 15 interesting facts about weed you might not know.

1. Weed Is Getting Stronger

Weed is significantly stronger these days than it was decades ago. In 1995, cannabis had around 4% of THC (the main psychoactive ingredient) on average. Whereas in 2014, cannabis had an average of 12% THC.

High THC levels mean users are more likely to experience negative side effects such as paranoia or anxiety.

2. Impossible to Overdose

It’s essentially impossible to overdose on weed. Theoretically, in order to overdose, you’d need to smoke around 1,500 pounds within 15 minutes. Even then, you would die from carbon monoxide poisoning rather than an actual overdose.

3. More Dispensaries Than Starbucks in Colorado

In 2012, Colorado became one of the first states to legalize weed for personal use. Since that time, the industry has grown massively. You can now find more dispensaries in the state of Colorado than you can find McDonald’s or Starbucks locations.

4. You Used to Get It at the Pharmacy

For some time, weed was perfectly legal in the US and you could buy it at the pharmacy. From around 1850 to 1942, weed was regarded to be useful medicine for treating conditions such as nausea, labor pain, and rheumatism.

5. Obama Used to Smoke It

Obama openly admitted to smoking weed in his younger days. Bill Clinton famously admitted to smoking cannabis but insisted he “did not inhale”.

In contrast, Obama admitted to inhaling it frequently. “When I was a kid, I inhaled,” he said. “That was the point.”

6. It’s Been Used for Centuries

The first example in recorded history of weed being used as a medicine dates all the way back to 2737 B.C. The Chinese emperor Shen Neng was given the drug to counteract the symptoms of rheumatism and gout.

7. Legalization Can Reduce Road Deaths

Since weed was legalized in the state of Colorado, deaths from car accidents reached a historic low. It’s believed that legal weed led to fewer people drinking and therefore, less drunk drivers on the roads.

8. The First Thing Sold Online

The first thing ever sold online was a bag of weed. Stanford students used ARPANET (an early version of the internet) to purchase a bag of cannabis from students over at MIT.

To this day, you can still buy weed online using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin.

9. Most Commonly Used Illegal Drug

Weed is easily the most widely used illegal drug in the United States. More than 100 million adult Americans have tried the drug at least once, and around 25 million people have used it in the last year.

10. It Can Treat Mental Health Conditions

Not only is weed regarded to be a good treatment for a number of physical conditions, but it’s also believed to be great for various mental health conditions. For example, it can be used to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

11. Bob Marley Was Buried with Some

Bob Marley was a follower of Rastafarianism. In this religion, the use of weed is viewed as a spiritual meditation aid. Weed meant so much to Bob Marley that some were buried alongside him after he passed away, as well as his guitar and a Bible.

12. It’s Less Harmful Than Alcohol

Did you know that cannabis is regarded to be a much safer drug than alcohol? Alcohol is more addictive than cannabis and it also does more physical harm. There are virtually no deaths associated directly with cannabis use, whereas alcohol has caused many deaths.

Alcohol also does a lot more social harm. People who are drunk are much more likely to get involved in fights or domestic violence. In contrast, people who are high are much less likely to be violent.

13. Weed Isn’t Actually Legal in the Netherlands

Contrary to popular belief, weed isn’t actually legal in the Netherlands. It’s actually just decriminalized.

Running a weed shop or “coffee shop” is tolerated by the police. However, growing weed to sell to the coffee shops is still illegal. This means that growing operations still have to be done under the radar of the authorities.

14. It Isn’t a Gateway Drug

Weed has often been criticized and called a gateway drug, meaning those who smoke weed are likely to move on to harder stuff such as cocaine and heroin. This has since been completely debunked by various different studies.

In fact, alcohol might be more of a gateway drug than weed. This is because alcohol can significantly lower your inhibitions and make you much more likely to do something irresponsible like take cocaine.

15. It Might Be Able to Treat Diabetes

In your body are a bunch of receptors. Currently, there are two for cannabinoids: CB1 and CB2. You can find them all over.

GPR119 is also a receptor but you can only find them in select places in your body. Scientists have found that they may be able to control how hormones are released. They might even be able to repair some cells!

Because of these promising results, you may soon be able to use CBD oil to cure diabetes. But more research has to be done before we can say it can for certain.

Read more here if you want to find out the science behind it.

Now You Know Interesting Facts About Weed

Now you know a few interesting facts about weed. With marijuana becoming legal for recreational use, a lot of people who’ve never tried it before are giving it a go. Some people who haven’t smoked for decades are also getting back into it.

If you’re an inexperienced smoker, you should always take it easy on your first time. When you buy your first bag of weed, be honest with the budtender about your inexperience. They’ll probably recommend a good strain that won’t be too overwhelming.

Considering trading in alcohol for weed? Here are 7 benefits of quitting drinking!

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