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5 Interesting Facts Most People Don’t Know About Cannabis
The medical marijuana industry has grown tremendously in the past few years. The industry alone is capable of generating billions of revenue in the United States. As of now, more than 40 states in the US have legalized cannabis in some or the other form. Of these, 11 states legalized cannabis for recreational purposes.
It seems as though cannabis has finally come out of the shadows with more and more people producing, selling, and using a medical marijuana card. Not only this but if you look at the cannabis businesses today, you will come across a wide range of facts and interesting statistics.
Of course, the anti-cannabis machinery still works vehemently to hide the growth and positive side of the industry and there are discrepancies in the existing legal structure, but cannabis is becoming less taboo and we know that for sure. So, here are some fascinating facts about cannabis you should learn and read right now.
More Than 50% of the Americans Believe In Cannabis Legalization
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in November 2019 showed that two-thirds of the Americans support cannabis legalization. Only 32% of Americans believe that marijuana should remain illegal nationwide. This discovery also proclaimed that from last year’s survey there has been a 5% increase in the number of people who support complete legalization.
Meanwhile, the survey noticed a significant response to legalizing cannabis for medical purposes. 59% of people say that marijuana should be legalized for medical use. This clearly indicates that the majority of people stand in favor of federal legalization. While the industry still battles the loopholes, the research centers either fall short of funds or find it difficult to study an illegal substance. You see, the perplexities and uncertainties have always been an integral part of the legalization process. However, constant support from 78% of Democrats states otherwise.
In addition to this, the survey also points out that millennials support marijuana legalization more. With a staggering 76% saying that marijuana should be legal in the United States. All in all, it is perhaps safe to say that this interesting fact might actually support the cause the cannabis industry has long been fighting for.
The Black Market Controls 85% of the Sales
Despite cannabis legalization, the black market has grown tremendously. All thanks to the loopholes in the laws. These loose ends allow the market to thrive. While most medical marijuana users consider purchasing products from state-licensed dispensaries, some people still prefer illegal sources. If you’re wondering why, well there’s no simple explanation, but we will explain this point with the help of research.
A research conducted by Eaze showed that 20% of the cannabis consumers in the Golden State purchase cannabis from the black market. More vitally, 80% of them agreed that they will most likely go back to the same source. Another New Frontier data suggested that the black market in California is worth $3.7 billion. This interestingly reveals that states with complete legalization have helped the black market thrive knowingly or unknowingly. In addition to this, you also have to note that even other countries such as Canada with complete legal background face the problems associated with the black market.
Here is another set of statistics that shows legal sales will exceed up to $1 billion in the coming years. If we look at the last year’s data, around 70% of the marijuana sales emerged from the black market. The same was seen in 2016 when the black market managed to reach 87% of the sales mark. However, the good news is that this year there was a slight decrease in the percentage. It went down from 70% to 43% at the onset of 2020.
What’s More?
The main problem with the cannabis market is that people do not want to pay high taxes. Besides, we all know that be it medical or recreational cannabis, the products are quite expensive. Only a person with a stable income can afford cannabis products on a regular basis. Also, states with massive marijuana supplies sell their products in the black market in order to save tax. Surprisingly, the illegal racket exists because the dealers have enough demand and supply requests.
More Than Half the Population Has Tried Cannabis at least Once
The legal age to consume medical cannabis is 18 and for recreational cannabis, the age has been set to 21. Although the laws may differ from state to state. So, make sure that you check the laws before approaching a cannabis store or applying for a medical marijuana card. That said, here’s another interesting fact that you must know about cannabis. 65% of cannabis users are parents. Undoubtedly, the majority of the parents smoke marijuana not because they are tired of parenthood, but they believe in the therapeutic powers of the herb.
Also, a survey of 1,200 adults conducted in 2018 by the Annals of Internal medicine showed that 14% of the users admitted the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Interestingly, since the survey marijuana use among adults has grown and 37 million American adults use cannabis in some or the other form.
According to the United Nations, a total of 159 million people use cannabis worldwide. This figure most certainly is lower than the number in reality. Another Drug Report issued in 2019 showed a significant increase in the rate of cannabis use. The numbers grew by 60% and still continue to rise.
More Than 70 Million Adults Have Access to Recreational Marijuana
This data was provided by the National Conference of State Legislature and the results were based on the population residing in legal states. At the time of publication, 11 states allowed the purchase, possession, and selling of recreational cannabis.
Ideally, recreational users are allowed to possess one ounce of cannabis. You can possess and consume a higher limit only if you have a medical marijuana card. For instance, with the help of a recommendation or a state-issued MMIC, you can grow up to 6 mature cannabis plants and carry up to 2 ounces.
Cannabis Arrests Have Risen in the Past Few Years
A normal cannabis user with a medical marijuana card using CBD oil cannot be
arrested for the same. We all will agree with the same fact because the Farm Bill legalized products that come from the hemp plant. However, the only problem is that even individuals carrying or possessing CBD are being arrested.
The Police reports that they make 820,000 arrests or more every year. Then there is also the issue of cannabis testing. You see CBD is an integral part of the cannabis plant. This means that even hemp contains little amounts of THC and you may fail a CBD drug test because of THC detection.
Once the test fails you have to pay a fine or suffer even harsher consequences such as jail time. It all depends upon the law associated with marijuana in your state. This is why it is also vital to keep the cannabis laws in mind. You might think that CBD derived from hemp is legal, but clauses such as only CBD with less than or equal to 0.3% THC is legal makes it more difficult for people to understand whether CBD is legal or not
