There have been a very significant shift in Americans’ perception of the cannabis plant: they increasingly want it legalized.
Cannabis and cannabis extracts have done near-miraculous things for the disabled and the ill. Currently, 23 states have legalized medicinal marijuana use.
The number of marijuana users increased, as well. According to a new study “In the last decade, the number of bud lovers has just about doubled”.
From 2001-2002, 4.1% of adults reported using cannabis within the past year. However, by 2012-2013, data showed that among the 36,000 subjects, around 9.5% of them had lit one up in recent months.
In addition to revealing the growing number of cannabis users, the same statistics reveal that abuse and dependency have decreased significantly.
Using a structured interview called AUDADIS-5 (Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-5, developed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism), researchers found that marijuana abuse and dependency (addiction) rates dropped from 35.6% in 2001-2002 to 30.6% in 2012-2013.
With hundreds of thousands of people arrested each year for possession of a harmless plant and violent drug cartels turning massive profits through a market that thrives on outdated and absurd drug policies, most of us can agree that it’s about time.