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Humans have used cannabis for millennia, with archaeologists discovering hemp fibers on pottery in Taiwan from about 10,000 years ago.
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In ancient China, cannabis seeds were eaten as a food as early as 6000 B.C.
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The first recorded use of medical marijuana was in 2737 B.C. by Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, who used it for rheumatism and gout.
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The ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote about the Scythians inhaling cannabis vapors in tents as part of a funeral ritual in 440 B.C.
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The word "canvas" originates from "cannabis" because canvas fabric was historically made from hemp fiber.
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Hemp was crucial in early American history, used for ropes and sails on the Mayflower and for the first American flag. The U.S.S. Constitution warship used over 120,000 pounds of hemp for its rigging.
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The first two drafts of the United States Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper.
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From 1850 to 1942, cannabis was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as an officially recognized medicine for ailments like nausea and labor pains.
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During the alcohol Prohibition era, some temperance advocates in the 1890s recommended cannabis as a safer "alternative intoxication."
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The term "marijuana" was popularized in the U.S. in the early 20th century to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment against Mexican immigrants. Prohibitionists used the foreign-sounding word to portray the drug as a menace.
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One day after the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 took effect, the first U.S. federal arrest for selling marijuana was made. Samuel Caldwell of Denver was arrested on October 2, 1937, fined $1,000, and sentenced to 4 years of hard labor.
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The Rastafari religion, which emerged in Jamaica in the 1930s, embraced cannabis ("ganja") as a holy sacrament to aid in meditation and spiritual enlightenment.
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Reggae legend Bob Marley was buried with his red Gibson guitar, a Bible, and a bud of marijuana.
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The term "420" originated in 1971 with a group of five friends at San Rafael High School in California, known as "The Waldos," who met at 4:20 PM to smoke.
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The first item ever sold on the internet was a bag of cannabis in 1972, in a deal between Stanford and MIT students using ARPANET.
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Former U.S. President Barack Obama admitted to smoking pot in his teen years as part of a group called the "Choom Gang."
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Country music legend Willie Nelson claims he smoked a joint on the roof of the White House with President Jimmy Carter's son in 1980.
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Rapper Snoop Dogg reportedly smokes about 81 blunts a day and employs a full-time professional blunt roller on a $40k–50k salary.
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At the Coachella festival in 2012, Rihanna was photographed rolling a joint on her bodyguard's bald head.
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After rapper Tupac Shakur's death, members of his group Outlawz mixed some of his ashes into a joint and smoked it.
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Las Vegas is home to Cannabition, a cannabis museum that features exhibits like a 24-foot tall bong called "Bongzilla."
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The world's most expensive joint was worth $24,000. It was packed with 1.5 pounds of flower, wrapped in 24-karat gold leaf paper, and decorated with THC diamonds.
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In 2020, hemp plant cultures were sent to the International Space Station on a SpaceX mission to see how microgravity affects cannabis cell growth.
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California became the first U.S. state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996.
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In December 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to fully legalize and regulate recreational cannabis.
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In October 2018, Canada became the second country and the first G7 nation to legalize cannabis for adult use nationwide.
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In the Netherlands, cannabis is not technically legal but is tolerated under a policy known as "gedoogbeleid," which allows licensed "coffee shops" to sell small quantities.
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After Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2014, the state's traffic fatality rate hit record lows by 2017.
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In 2021, an estimated 52.5 million people, or about 19% of American adults, used cannabis.
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By 2022, the U.S. legal cannabis industry had created an estimated 428,000 full-time jobs, more than the number of bank tellers.
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The cannabis plant contains over 140 different cannabinoids, unique compounds such as THC and CBD.
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The human body has an endocannabinoid system, a network of receptors that interact with cannabis-like chemicals the body produces naturally to regulate mood, appetite, pain, and memory.
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Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam first isolated THC in 1964, a milestone that opened the door for modern cannabis research. He is often called the "Godfather of Cannabis Science."
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Extensive studies have found that alcohol and tobacco are more harmful to individuals and society than marijuana.
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It is considered impossible to die from a cannabis overdose. A person would theoretically need to consume about 1,500 pounds of marijuana in 15 minutes to reach a lethal dose.
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Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) is a rare condition where heavy, long-term cannabis use leads to recurrent bouts of severe vomiting.
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It is possible to be allergic to cannabis, with symptoms ranging from hay fever to skin rashes upon contact or inhalation.
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In 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, a purified CBD extract, as the first cannabis-derived pharmaceutical for treating severe childhood epilepsy.
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A 1990s NASA experiment found that spiders given marijuana made messy, incomplete webs and often gave up before finishing.
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Hemp and marijuana are the same plant species, Cannabis sativa. The legal difference is that hemp must contain less than 0.3% THC, while marijuana is cultivated to produce high levels of THC.
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Only female cannabis plants produce the cannabinoid-rich buds that are consumed. Male plants are often removed to prevent pollination, which would cause the females to produce seeds and lower their THC yield.
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Cannabis's closest botanical relative is hops, the plant that flavors beer. They both belong to the Cannabaceae plant family.
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Indoor cannabis cultivation is highly energy-intensive; one study calculated that growing 1 kilogram of cannabis indoors uses about as much electricity as driving across the U.S. five times.
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In 1941, Henry Ford built an experimental car with a plastic-like body made from hemp, which was lighter than steel but could withstand 10 times the impact without denting.
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Synthetic cannabinoids, like those in "Spice" or "K2," are created in labs and can have dangerous, unpredictable effects like psychosis and seizures.
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Creative strain names like "Girl Scout Cookies" and "Pineapple Express" are often brainstormed by growers in hazy sessions after developing a new hybrid.