10 things you didn't know about medical cannabis

Weed, ganja, and pot—far from the image portrayed in teen movies—have long been used in cultures around the world. Legalization in the United States is being led by the states of Colorado and Washington, and there are about 25 states that have legalized the medical and/or recreational use of marijuana. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about medical marijuana:

1/ «Marijuana» is a Mexican term which, at the time, referred to low-quality tobacco

2/ The plant was cultivated in China for medicinal and recreational use more than 4,700 years ago

3/ The medical marijuana market is currently worth $1.7 billion in the United States

4/ The black market for marijuana is worth $18 billion a year in the United States

5/ Most marijuana users are occasional users. The increase in prescriptions is not correlated with an increase in treatments for clinical addiction.

6/ Marijuana use in the Netherlands is similar to that in the United States, despite differences between laws both countries

7/ Fully legalizing marijuana in the United States would result in a thriving market valued at $36 billion

8/ More than 800,000 people are arrested each year In the United States, the vast majority of these cases involve marijuana possession.

9/ 45% of the U.S. population supports legalization nationwide

10/ In California, doctors have been able to treat more than 300,000 cases of migraine with marijuana-based treatment

So, surprised?

Map date: April 23, 2015