Here are 10 not so common facts about cannabis you can use to dazzle your friends at your next gathering.
Number 10. It hails from a celebrity family. Marijuana — or, cannabis if you’re so inclined — and beer-making hops come from the same plant family. And yes, people have experimented with making beer out of marijuana. Many say the best route is to follow a dark ale recipe.
Number 9. Pot has been to space. Last year a weather balloon hauled 95 seeds, a clone plant, and a joint 19 miles up into the air. As far as real space, the verdict is still out. Rumors that NASA researchers threw a couple of weed seeds into zero gravity growing chambers have been alluded to by one of the agency’s former agricultural team members.
Number 8. Cannabis is legit. There are by some estimates 2000 slang terms for marijuana — weed, mary jane, pot, ganja, and, according to purists, marijuana itself is an unofficial and pejorative street lingo. Prior to it being vilified in the 20th century, it was referred to as cannabis.
Number 7. Marijuana accounts for many arrests despite an increasingly liberal public policy. According to the FBI, legalization has done little to decrease the pot-related arrest rate of 1 every 42 seconds as of 2012.
Number 6. Medical marijuana has been around since at least 2737 BC when its use was first recorded by Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. He enlisted its help in treating gout and managing rheumatism pains.
Number 5. Canada was the first modern country to offer medical marijuana. They began dispensing it in 2003.
Number 4. Up until 1942, the US dispensed it as well. Prescribing pot to relieve nausea, rheumatism, and labor pains began around 1850. Producers even had ads printed boasting the cost effectiveness and purity of their locally produced goods.
Number 3. To overdose would take a superhuman ability. It’s estimated that to pose a deadly threat to one’s health 1500 pounds of weed would have to be consumed in a 15-minute period.
Number 2. Presidents sometimes inhale. On the issue George W. Bush said, “I wouldn’t answer the marijuana questions. You know why? Because I don’t want some little kid doing what I tried.” President Obama kept his response more succinct, saying about inhaling, “That was the point.”
Number 1. They sell marijuana smoothies in India. The drink is a simple yogurt and cannabis blend. Reportedly, it tastes horrible, but considering the dancing that follows, it seems to go down easily.
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