Cannabis Facts

If you recall from Round 1 of our public health menace cage match fight, marijuana lost to peanuts. Peanuts kill 100 people every year, is the most common cause of death from food allergy, and can produce severely unpleasant allergic reactions in 3 million Americans.

Enough about peanuts, lets move onto Round 2 against America’s most popular drug by far, caffeine. Approximately 90% of Americans consume this legal drug daily. It is estimated 20-30% of Americans, nearly 80M people, are consuming high doses of caffeine daily. There is no doubt that caffeine is an addictive drug and has more than trivial withdrawal symptoms.

1,000 to 10,000 Americans die annually from caffeine-related deaths from stress, ulcers and triggering irregular heartbeats versus zero deaths for marijuana. Marijuana users also have the same or lower incidence of murders and highway deaths and accidents than the general non-marijuana using population as a whole. Cancer Study, UCLA; U.S. Funded ($6 million), First & Second Jamaican Studies, 1968 to 1974; Costa Rican Studies, 1980 to 1982; et al. LOWEST TOXICITY 100% of the studies done at dozens of American universities and research facilities show pot toxicity does not exist. Medical history does not record anyone dying from an overdose of marijuana. (UCLA, Harvard, Temple, etc.)

Finally, there are no cases of fatally overdosing on marijuana, you’re just a bit more stoned and for a longer period of time.  Compare that against what occurs when a person overdoses on caffeine below:

 

Source: Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

America’s most popular drug, which is both legal and addictive.

 

I am not against caffeine, I use it often, it should be legal and it has been shown to provide some health benefits as well.  Like most things humankind encounter, moderation is the key. Although it is a fairly powerful drug, I believe each adult is capable of making their own decisions, particularly when it doesn’t impact others. Marijuana is less dangerous than caffeine, don’t adults deserve the same choice they have with caffeine?

Source Articles:

Read more about the fact that marijuana is safe here on Weedist:

  1. Marijuana, Safer Than Peanuts – by Lakota
  2. Round 1: Marijuana Safer Than Peanuts, Round 2: Caffeine – by Moirai [this post]
  3. Marijuana is Safer than Soda – Share this Information – by DGB
  4. Infographic: Another Reminder That Marijuana is Safe – by DGB