Every stoner known to man has a cornucopia of useless knowledge tucked away inside their brains, ready to be unleashed on the masses like a starving animal, at the first sign of conversational lag.
And while it is encouraged to use your friend’s catatonic response to some exceptionally killer weed as an opportunity to engage in some blathering, we at HIGH TIMES thought that you might be interested in some new material.
Here are five shocking facts about legal marijuana for all you stoner know-it-alls to spout off during your next bong-ripping session:
Marijuana could be the best-selling drug of all time
Recent studies, specifically one conducted by ArcView Market Research, indicates that legalized marijuana sales across the US are poised to reach over $10 billion within the next five years. That is a relatively hefty chunk of change considering that the current sales record for prescription drugs in America is somewhere in the neighborhood of $13 billion, which is held by Pfizer’s cholesterol medication Lipitor. Research shows that medical marijuana is set to bloom from its modest $1.44 billion in sales in 2013, giving way to enormous gains over the course of the next few years. If market calculations are even close to accurate, marijuana could easily break Pfizer’s sales record by 2020.
Recent studies, specifically one conducted by ArcView Market Research, indicates that legalized marijuana sales across the US are poised to reach over $10 billion within the next five years. That is a relatively hefty chunk of change considering that the current sales record for prescription drugs in America is somewhere in the neighborhood of $13 billion, which is held by Pfizer’s cholesterol medication Lipitor. Research shows that medical marijuana is set to bloom from its modest $1.44 billion in sales in 2013, giving way to enormous gains over the course of the next few years. If market calculations are even close to accurate, marijuana could easily break Pfizer’s sales record by 2020.
Recreational marijuana could soon be legal in 14 more US states
ArcView predicts that with recent polls signifying that the American majority is now in favor of marijuana legalization, upcoming elections could spawn even more pot-friendly states -- that is, as long as citizens vote with the same opinion used to answer surveys. In fact, while the great marijuana experiment wages on in Colorado and Washington, it is expected that a growing number of states will persuade voters to get onboard ballot initiatives throughout the course of the next five years, and pass recreational marijuana into law with an overwhelming success rate.
ArcView predicts that with recent polls signifying that the American majority is now in favor of marijuana legalization, upcoming elections could spawn even more pot-friendly states -- that is, as long as citizens vote with the same opinion used to answer surveys. In fact, while the great marijuana experiment wages on in Colorado and Washington, it is expected that a growing number of states will persuade voters to get onboard ballot initiatives throughout the course of the next five years, and pass recreational marijuana into law with an overwhelming success rate.
The federal government supplies patients with weed
There is a special government funded farm located on the campus of the University of Mississippi responsible for cultivating marijuana used in a longstanding federal glaucoma project. For the past 30 years, the government has been sending up to 30 patients a prescription for marijuana every month, as part of a national study to explore the medicinal benefits of the drug as a treatment for glaucoma. While marijuana advocates believe that government issued weed is a contradiction to Uncle Sam’s current policies on the drug, federal officials say the project was just an experiment that produced no evidence to suggest marijuana has any scientific value.
There is a special government funded farm located on the campus of the University of Mississippi responsible for cultivating marijuana used in a longstanding federal glaucoma project. For the past 30 years, the government has been sending up to 30 patients a prescription for marijuana every month, as part of a national study to explore the medicinal benefits of the drug as a treatment for glaucoma. While marijuana advocates believe that government issued weed is a contradiction to Uncle Sam’s current policies on the drug, federal officials say the project was just an experiment that produced no evidence to suggest marijuana has any scientific value.
A small percentage of marijuana studies explore potential benefit
Earlier this year, CNN’s Sanjay Gupta reported that only six percent of the studies published on marijuana target its potential benefits, while a whopping 94% scrutinize it for its capacity to do harm. Gupta says that this unfortunate phenomenon is primarily due to science’s inability to conduct clinical trials due to marijuana still being considered illegal on a national level.
Earlier this year, CNN’s Sanjay Gupta reported that only six percent of the studies published on marijuana target its potential benefits, while a whopping 94% scrutinize it for its capacity to do harm. Gupta says that this unfortunate phenomenon is primarily due to science’s inability to conduct clinical trials due to marijuana still being considered illegal on a national level.
The active compound in marijuana is available at a drug store near you
While more states across America attempt to pass legislation to make medical marijuana available to patients, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active cannabinoid found in marijuana, is already available at drug stores throughout the nation -- it’s called Marinol. Interestingly, a drug company, now called AbbVie, developed Marinol, which is essentially marijuana in pill form, to help chemotherapy patients regain their appetite and control nausea. However, Marinol is reportedly not a very commonly prescribed medication because of variations in people’s absorption rates creating issues with determining the appropriate dosage.
While more states across America attempt to pass legislation to make medical marijuana available to patients, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active cannabinoid found in marijuana, is already available at drug stores throughout the nation -- it’s called Marinol. Interestingly, a drug company, now called AbbVie, developed Marinol, which is essentially marijuana in pill form, to help chemotherapy patients regain their appetite and control nausea. However, Marinol is reportedly not a very commonly prescribed medication because of variations in people’s absorption rates creating issues with determining the appropriate dosage.
Source : http://www.hightimes.com/read/dr-stoner-know-it-all-5-shocking-facts-about-legal-pot
