15 Semi-True Things You’ve Probably Already Heard About Marijuana from Various Sources
Think you know everything there is to know about the world’s most popular recreational drug? Think again. Here are fifteen facts about marijuana that you probably didn’t know:
1. More People Use It Than You Think.
4.4% of the world’s population consume marijuana — about 190 million people — and .6% use it on a daily basis (22.5 million people). [source: pdf]
Image by Alexandra Moss
2. People have been using it forever.
Cannibis has been around for ages (at least since the stone ages). The earliest record of cannabis use dates back to China — the island of Taiwan. Tools unearthed in an ancient village bore a similarity to the kind of tools that were used to loosen cannabis fibers from their stems. [source]
3. It’s a multi-category drug.
Marijuana has the effect of a stimulant, depressant (much like alcohol), and hallucinogenic drug all at once. Stronger doses can even induce paranoia or strange visions. [source]
Image by Troy Holden
4. It might prevent cancer.
A study by researchers at California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute discovered that a compound called CBD, found in Cannabis sativa, can act as a form of therapy less toxic than chemotherapy, potentially stopping the spread of breast cancer. [source]
