8 Fun Facts About Cannabis You May Not Have Known

Marijuana has been more accessible and prevalent than ever before. Although, it still feels like the exact origins of the plant remain a mystery. 

Studies on the plant are still new, and it might seem that the plant has no relevant history before the 1900s. As cannabis gains more ubiquity, knowing the lesser-known facts about this influential plant helps understand what makes marijuana so intriguing and significant. 

Here are a few unknown fun facts about marijuana that you may not have known about this controversial plant we know as cannabis. 

Dispensaries Are Gaining More Popularity Than McDonald’s and Starbucks

With more states legalizing recreational marijuana, dispensaries have gained a massive influx in popularity. In recent years, cannabis storefronts have become more common than McDonald’s and Starbucks in some locations. It is becoming less challenging to purchase cannabis in secure glass containers. 

As reported by MJ BizDaily, “In Denver and Portland, Oregon, for example, marijuana retailers outnumber Starbucks by close to double.” While some states limit how many dispensaries are allowed, this is still a very telling statistic. 

Cannabis and Beer Are Close Relatives

If you’ve ever smelled beer hops and thought you got a whiff of marijuana, your nose was not playing tricks on you. Hops (or Humulus) are in the same family tree as cannabis plants. 

“They confirmed that Humulus and Cannabis were very closely related and belonged in a single-family, Cannabinaceae,” as reported in Popular Science.

Although the result of the final product is different between the two plants, the smell is almost identical. Hemp-based food products might soon grow in popularity after the California governor signed a bill legalizing the manufacture and sale of hemp-derived products.

Cannabis Affects Your Heart

Even though marijuana is considered “safe,” some possible side effects exist that some are not aware of. One potential health risk of consuming cannabis is an added strain to your cardiovascular system. 

Cannabis can have an impact on your heart in a multitude of ways, “including raising heart rate, dilating blood vessels, and making the heart pump harder,” as reported by the Harvard Medical School.

Marijuana Affects Women Differently Than Men

As odd as it may seem, recent studies have shown cannabis affects women differently than their male counterparts. The complete marijuana experience might differ between the two sexes, from the amount needed to tolerance levels. 

According to the Eureka Alert, the primary way marijuana affects women differently is how it interacts with the female production of estrogen.

Hemp Is Woven Into American History

Hemp has a rich and long history in the United States. Not only did the founding fathers George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grow it on their property, but the famous Mayflower also had ropes and sails made of hemp. 

The Founding Fathers wrote the first two drafts of the U.S. Declaration of Independence on paper made with hemp. The best part of all this woven hemp history lies within the first developed symbol of the nation. 

The famous American flag made by Betsy Ross was indeed woven from industrial hemp. 

Rep. Jared Polis, who authored an amendment to the Farm Bill which allows for industrial hemp to be studied where it is legal, said, “Many of the very first American flags were made from hemp cloths. So there’s a real tie in to our country’s history and the important rule industrial hemp played in agriculture in our country.”

Canvas Is Made From Cannabis

Some of the most influential art pieces were painted on canvases throughout history. Canvases were frequently made with the aid of marijuana historically. Cannabis greatly impacted the creation of canvases that the name is derived from the word cannabis, according to Vocabulary.com.

The First E-Commerce Sale Was For Marijuana

It’s a mystery as to what started e-commerce. However, there was a day in the early ’70s that was often deemed the first internet transaction, and it involved the sale of cannabis. 

John Markoff, in his 2005 novel What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry, wrote, “In 1971 or 1972, Stanford students using Arpanet accounts at Stanford University’s Artificial Intelligence Laboratory engaged in a commercial transaction with their counterparts as Massachusetts Institute of Technology.” He continued, “Before Amazon, before eBay, the seminal act of e-commerce was a drug deal.”

Last month’s Black Friday sales were through the roof, showing how far cannabis sales have progressed.

Cannabis’ History Goes Back Thousands Of Years

While most assume that cannabis cultivation began in the early modern times, contrary to popular belief, the first recorded utilization of marijuana dates back thousands of years before the United States’ conception. 

In the sacred Hindu texts, The Vedas, cannabis is mentioned and estimated to have been cultivated around 2000 to 1400 B.C. Even woven hemp fibers were discovered at a burial site in Taiwan that dates back 10,000 years. 

From American Flags to the first internet drug deal, marijuana has been in the shadows of history for thousands of years. While this plant is highly controversial, it has woven a path that has helped us understand more and gain new resources and information.