As Colorado and Washington set the stage for recreational marijuana use that is legal, numerous states are continuing to support the expansion of medicinal marijuana. Marijuana, or pot if you prefer, has been used for centuries in various cultures for a variety of medical purposes. It has been shown through dozens of studies to be safe to treat symptoms of cancer and AIDS, as well as nervous or muscular disorders such as multiple sclerosis or epilepsy. Despite this, marijuana remains listed as a Schedule I substance because it has no acceptable use. This view dates back to 1972.
Statistics About Medicinal Marijuana
1. The amount of annual revenues that the medicinal marijuana industry is worth: $1.53 billion.
2. It is believed that the medicinal marijuana industry will experience ten-fold growth within the next 5 years.
3. In the first two months of legalizing marijuana, the state of Colorado generated $6.17 million in additional revenues.
4. Up to 10,000 new jobs were created in Colorado through the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes.
5. The State of Washington is expected to raise over $190 million in taxes and fees because of legal marijuana use.
6. More than $100 million is generated in tax revenues in California because of medicinal marijuana use.
7. The total amount of dollars spent in the United States by federal and state resources to curb the use of marijuana: $17.4 billion.
8. About 9% of people who try marijuana will eventually become addicted to it.
9. As many as half of the daily users of medicinal marijuana may be addicted to it.
10. 76% of doctors approve of the use of medical marijuana.
11. Pot is used by 3 out 4 people who admit to using at least one illicit drug on a regular basis.
12. When medicinal marijuana is used, it may decrease suicide rates by almost 11% in some population demographics.
13. Beer consumption drops by up to 5% in those who use medicinal marijuana on a regular basis.
14. Just over one-third of the US population is covered by some form of a medicinal marijuana law.
15. It is believed that there are over 115,000 patients who have been authorized to use medicinal marijuana at some level.
16. The use of marijuana, whether as legalized recreational or as legalized medicinal, is not a predictor to increases in crime and may be related to reductions in violent crime.
17. Smoking cannabis can result in a 34% greater decrease in pain when compared to a placebo.
18. The amount of the world’s population that uses marijuana on more than just an occasional basis: 3.8%.
19. It is believed that more than 150 million people use marijuana regularly.
20. Over 94 million people in the United States admit to using marijuana at least once, whether it was for medicinal, recreational, or illegal.
21. Among 12-17-year olds, 6.7% were current marijuana users in 2007.
22. In 2005, 242,200 emergency room visits in the United States involved marijuana.
23. Next to alcohol, marijuana is the second most frequently found substance in the bodies of drivers involved in fatal automobile accidents.
24. According to some research, marijuana smoke contains 50% to 70% more cancer-causing substances than tobacco smoke.
25. One study found that youth 12-17 years old who use marijuana are 85 times more likely to use cocaine than kids who do not use pot.
26. About 10 million Americans have used marijuana at least once in the last 30 days.
27. In 1995, 165,000 people entering drug treatment programs reported marijuana as their primary drug of abuse.
28. A Memphis, TN study of 150 arrested reckless drivers found that 33% tested positive for marijuana and an additional 12% tested positive for both marijuana and alcohol.
29. The United States is ranked first amongst developed nations for the prevalence of marijuana use.
30. Every day, it is estimated that at least 2 million people will try marijuana for the first time and 50% of them will be under the age of 18.
31. Number of people arrested for marijuana law violations in 2012: 749,825
32. Cannabis contains almost 500 compounds, of which about 80 are used for medicine and science.
33. Nevada’s medical marijuana laws received the most amount of voter support at 65.4%.
34. The amount of voters who approved Arizona’s medical marijuana laws: 50.13%.
35. Eight medical marijuana states give patients an affirmative defense or “choice of evils” defense upon receiving their doctor’s recommendation.
36. Only Minnesota forbids patients from having any access to the plant itself.
37. Only California allows a doctor to prescribe medicinal marijuana for any condition that they believe warrants it.
38. Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Washington DC have exempted pain as a qualifying condition for medicinal marijuana.
Although it remains classified as a Schedule I item, there are currently 23 states and the District of Colombia that have made it legal to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Because marijuana may be addictive, some opponents of using pot say that it is too dangerous to ever use under FDA guidelines. Some believe that marijuana is also a gateway drug and that it may injure the lungs. Those who drive after using pot are impaired and that it interferes with the immune system.
Is medicinal marijuana just a front for legalized recreational use without the name? It might be for some. When doctors are willing to give out legalization cards to individuals for basic physical complaints, it is easy to understand this perspective. Yet there are also patients who receive tremendous benefits simply because they have access to medicinal marijuana. This means that the truth about using pot to relieve pain or bothersome symptoms is likely somewhere between the two perspectives.
Whether you are for the legalization of marijuana, against it, or support it only when it is used in medical applications, knowing these statistics will help you better understand the overall picture. Although there are some areas of the nation that are divided over the benefits of medicinal marijuana, the overall majority supports using it in some form, especially for those who are seriously ill. What else do the statistics say?
Impact of Statistics
The issue with medicinal marijuana is two-fold: there are sharply divided feelings about its use and there are research studies that provide opposite results.
Having the laws regarding medicinal marijuana varying from state to state don’t help matters any either. Some states require a fee of $25 to obtain a permit to use a medical marijuana prescription. In other states, it can cost as much as $200. There are also residency requirements involved with using a prescription which can make it nearly impossible for some patients to get the medication that they need to control bothersome symptoms.
Then there’s the issue that national law forbids the use of marijuana in any form. There are states that follow the national guidelines. This means it is very possible for someone with a legal prescription in one state to be arrested for carrying authorized amounts of pot in another state if they take it with them to travel. In practical terms, that’s like receiving a prescription to use Vicodin in Wisconsin, but you can take any painkillers with you to go see Chicago for the day.
Rising Support Around the Nation
Support for the use of medicinal marijuana is increasing year by year as well. Since 1997, support for using pot for medical purposes has increased from 62% to 83%. Despite overwhelming support, there is strong opposition that is keeping the status quo in place. The biggest obstacle to using medical marijuana is that people are thought to smoke it, but smoking is rarely how it is administered. Inhalers, pills, and edibles are all more common than smoking and have been proven to be healthier and even more effective in administration.
Although change is moving slow, it is still moving. There are 13 states that have decriminalized personal possession of marijuana, mostly in 1 ounce or fewer amounts. Another 12 states allow patients to grow their own marijuana at home, while 3 more also allow for hardship exemptions that allow certain patients to grow their own medication. Yet with this progress, there is still a long way to go. 9 states, for example, require patients to register on a list, like you would for a gun, so they won’t be arrested for possessing marijuana.
Medicinal marijuana seems to help some, a fact that cannot be denied by either side of this debate. If it helps just one person, doesn’t that make allowing it for use in that instance a good choice? What kind of society will we create if we forbid people from items that can help them live a normal, fulfilling life? Any system and any medication can be abused if people choose to do so. Instead of regulating it to the extent that there is so much red tape that nothing can get done, it might be time to take the path that Colorado and Washington have taken.