8 Surprising Facts About Medical Marijuana

So you want to win friends and influence people? Well, there is nothing in the world that will do that job better than a few interesting medical marijuana facts sprinkled judiciously into your conversations. People will find you irresistibly good company when you are armed with these little nuggets of golden information!

Here are eight strange and surprising facts about medical marijuana that you can use to impress and entertain your friends, colleagues, dispensary buddies and family.

Carl Sagan Wrote About the Benefits of Cannabis Under a Pseudonym

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It was only after Carl Sagan’s death that it was revealed that he had written about medical marijuana under a pseudonym.

Sagan, the iconic astrophysicist and science writer, wrote at least one article singing the praises of his favorite herb. It was published in a 1971 book called Reconsidering Marijuana. It was only after his death that it was revealed that he had written the piece under a pseudonym. Marijuana was strictly prohibited in the early 1970s in America, and a high-profile interstellar explorer such as Sagan had to keep his cannabis use a closely guarded secret — hence the concealed identity.

The Iconic English Playwright William Shakespeare Enjoyed Smoking Weed

Of the 24 pipes found at Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon home that were tested in a laboratory at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, eight were discovered to contain marijuana residue. This strongly suggests that the great writer liked to get high (maybe he had a ye olde cannabis card). This is not very surprising given the mind-expanding and creativity-inducing qualities of smoking cannabis.

American English Contains More Than 200 Slang Words for Marijuana

And that means there are also more 200 words for medical marijuana, too:

Medical ganga, medical weed, medical grass, medical doobie, medical chronic, medical blunt, medical bammer, medical wacky tobaccy, medical herbal refreshment, medical skunk weed, medical left-handed cigarette, medical hippie lettuce, medical fatty boom blatty, medical bubonic chronic and — best of all — medical sticky icky icky!

Denver Has More Cannabis Dispensaries Than Starbucks

This is bad news for fans of beige, middle-of-the-road, mega-twee folk playlists and ever-so-slightly burnt coffee but good news for fans of all things marijuana-related in Colorado’s biggest city. Denver’s streets contain more weed dispensaries than Starbucks locations. Soon, they will have more weed shops than McDonald’s restaurants, too, and then shortly after that, maybe Denver will just become one giant marijuana dispensary! 

Yosemite Rock Climbers in the 1970s Loved to Use Medical Marijuana

In 1977, a Mexican plane carrying 6 tons of cannabis crashed in Yosemite National Park. The local rock climbers who practically lived in the park were first to the crash site — and they took the weed. That was a good summer in Yosemite! They smoked the weed for its medicinal effects (it did wonders to ease aching limbs after a long day climbing) and because they liked the feeling of being high! Rock climbing became more creative in the summer of 1977. Many strange and interesting new routes up El Capitan were discovered thanks to those 6tonss of Mexican herb!

George Washington Used Medical Marijuana

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George Washington wrote in letters on numerous occasions about his weed-growing exploits.

The first president of the United States of America wore some horrendously uncomfortable dentures. For some releaf (hehe) from the discomfort, he smoked cannabis. This was long before the California medical marijuana card came on the scene, so the great politician grew his own herb. He wrote in letters on numerous occasions about his weed-growing exploits. He took his pot growing very seriously and was always experimenting with ways to create the best, most pain-zapping weed possible. 

Medical Marijuana Legalization Reduces Suicide Rates

A study has shown that since medical cannabis was legalized in the state of Colorado, the overall suicide rate fell by 5 percent, the suicide rate of males between the ages of 20 and 29 fell by 11 percent, and the suicide rate of 30- to 39-year-old males fell by 9 percent. So, living in a legal medical marijuana card state makes you quite a bit less likely to kill yourself. Good news! 

The Chilean Miners Trapped Underground in the Atacama Desert in 2010 Medicated with Cannabis

When the San José copper–gold mine collapsed in 2010 trapping 33 men underground, one of the first things that was dropped down to them (after absolute essentials) was some medical herb. It was a highly stressful situation for the men involved, and medical cannabis was used to keep them calm and relaxed under such extreme conditions.

Those eight interesting facts will absolutely win you friends, lovers, discounts, free drinks, complimentary bowls, invites to dinner parties, promotions at work and, hell, maybe even a wonderful spouse!