Marijuana has a storied history in the United States and, recently, has seen its public reputation completely flip. Not only has the overall sentiment around cannabis become positive overall, but the legislation has followed closely behind. Beyond just legal marijuana, states like Colorado have passed laws aimed at integrating marijuana into society and making it more sociably acceptable.
Marijuana has a storied history in the United States and, recently, has seen its public reputation completely flip. Not only has the overall sentiment around cannabis become positive overall, but the legislation has followed closely behind. Beyond just legal marijuana, states like Colorado have passed laws aimed at integrating marijuana into society and making it more sociably acceptable.
The United States recently began legalizing many substances, both for recreational and medical use that were previously considered taboo on a federal level. Now with these decisions up to the states, positive marijuana tests are up by almost 50% and each part of the country upholds a different standard for drug use. Drug testing laws also differ by state, and specifically employment drug testing laws have garnered attention in recent years. This uptick in marijuana usage poses a risk for vulnerable workers and creates a more dangerous work environment.
Marijuana legalization isn’t something new to American debate. California legalized medicinal marijuan in 1996, it took 7,308 days before it was recreationally legal. Today the timeframe in between these two phases has dramatically dropped. Massachusetts legalized medicinal marijuana in 2012, it was only 1,463 days before it was legal recreationally.
Missouri and Maryland have legalized the use of recreational
marijuana via the ballot box, in the 2022 midterm elections. CNN projects highlight
that three similar referendums have been voted down in South Dakota, North
Dakota, and Arkansas. South Dakota allowed the medical and recreational use of
Cannabis in the 2020 elections, but the state's Supreme Court ruled the ballot
measure on recreational wed invalid for technical reasons after Governor Kristi
Noem lodged a complaint. The second time around, the referendum is expected to
be narrowly defeated.

The racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests is a known issue, but just how bad is it? One law firm decided to find the answer to this question using data from an analysis conducted by the ACLU. Using this information they ranked the 50 counties across the U.S. that were found to have the largest racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests.
Drugs dubbed as a man’s worst enemy. They can destroy lives
and families of the person who uses them. Even a small amount can make a person
go crazy for more. Cocaine is the worse kind of drug out there because it can
really make someone insane. They are life takers.
A newly published European Drug Report showed the deaths
caused by drugs in Europe. The continent has always had drug problems and most of
the countries have the worst situation. From young ones aged 15 to older folks
aged 65, people of all ages had done drugs at least once in their lives.
The generational divide between baby boomers and millennials is vast when it comes to social attitudes, economics, and even marijuana use. Verilife recently surveyed 1,000 baby boomers and 1,000 millennials who consume marijuana regularly to break down the similarities and differences between how both generations consume marijuana. Let’s take a deeper dive into the results from the survey that looked at consumption trends, how each demographic uses (recreational vs medical), consumption preferences as well as how Covid-19 has impacted both usage and spending on cannabis.
Medical vs Recreational
The two most common uses of marijuana are medical reasons and recreational reasons. Some states have legalized use for both where others are strictly medical or even still illegal for both medical and recreational. Verilife wanted to see how usage differed between millennials and baby boomers.
One of the biggest differences between how millennials and boomers consume marijuana lies within the reason why each generation consumes. 49% of millennials consume recreationally vs 28% for boomers. Boomers on the other hand are twice as likely to use marijuana solely for medical reasons. Let’s examine the full numbers for each demographic.
Millennials – 49% recreational usage, 22% medical usage, and 29% use both recreationally and medically.
Baby Boomers – 50% medical usage, 28% recreational usage, and 22% use both recreationally and medically.
The study found that baby boomers were twice as likely to use cannabis solely for medical reasons as millennials.
Let's start off with the common characteristic of CBD and Hemp oil- both are derived from hemp plants, although the parts they are extracted from differs. Hemp oil comes from hemp seeds, whereas CBD oil comes from the stems, stalks and flowers of the same plant. CBD oil is used mostly for therapeutic purposes, as it consists of cannabinoids. On the other hand, hemp oil is used less in lotions and creams, and more as a traditional cooking oil. It is also beneficial for skin problems, such as acne and much more.
It is important to bust some myths regarding cannabis in particular. Cannabis has not had the best reputation in the past, but now we can see the trends change as more cannabis-based consumer products are being used. The issue arises due to legality, as mass consumption of cannabis in the form of smoking can lead to dangerous and drastic side effects. This is not true as CBD oil is extracted from a non-psychoactive hemp plant.
Cannabis, also known as Marijuana or Hashish, is one of the topmost consumed substances in the United States of America. It is derived from tall plants with tiny leaves. The plant names are actually Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis, while the drug derived from it is known as cannabis. Some people like to refer to cannabis as weed, while some still have the opinion that cannabis is somewhat more of a legal substance, so using terms like pot or weed doesn't make sense to the latter.
Cannabis is used for a variety of purposes, which include medical, recreational, and other. For medical purposes, the majority of people use cannabis to calm down their nerves, increase confidence levels and relax their mind. It is also said to help with low appetite issues. For recreational purposes, people consume cannabis to be more creative and loosen the fits of boredom.
In some countries, possessing marijuana can even land you a life sentence or even the death penalty, depending on how much you have! That’s why if you’re going to be traveling outside of your home country, it’s important to know and have a full understanding of the local culture, and whether or not smoking in that country is welcomed or met harshly. So, where did your country rank on this list of 100?
For the last two decades, the cannabis laws have been flux. It was considered an illegal narcotic drug in the United States for 60 years, and since 1961, when most developed nations signed the internationally recognized Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. Specific US states have started breaking away from federal and international restrictions, starting with California in 1996.
More nations have now also begun lifting cannabis bans, beginning with Uruguay in 2016.Several states in the US have already legalized legal recreational cannabis and have legal medical cannabis laws even more. The incredible Gleam Law graphic shows the past of cannabis laws, and how far we have come.
When seeking new employment, it’s fairly common for job candidates to undergo pre-employment drug screening. Although some states have fully legalized marijuana, it’s crucial to understand the guidelines on using marijuana before, during, or at work. Nearly half of marijuana users in legalized states admit to using cannabis at or before work, and 75% say being high improves their work performance.
Regarding state leniency, Colorado, Washington, Massachusetts, Alaska, and several others are among the best states to use marijuana in. On the other hand; South Dakota and Iowa are among the strictest states. Interestingly enough, many companies don’t test for marijuana, although drug testing limitations do exist.
Along this topic, states are even banning pre-employment drug testing for marijuana; with the exception for first-responder positions such as firefighters, police officers, and medical professionals. Keep reading below for more information about the future of marijuana and work, legal drug testing limitations for employers to abide by, and a full list of the best and worst states for marijuana leniency.
Laws surrounding marijuana have started to change at a rapid pace with multiple states legalizing medical and or recreational cannabis over the past handful of years. Medical marijuana has been legal in California since 1996 but it wasn’t until the residents of Colorado and Washington voted for recreational legalization in 2012 that other state governments really started to take a hard look at marijuana and its many benefits. But where is it legal in this country?
This infographic breaks down marijuana laws by state through an interactive legal weed map, and a short guide to regulations. While only three states in the U.S. prohibit marijuana products completely, there are still a lot of restrictions on how and by whom medical marijuana can be consumed in some states. Arkansas is known for having one of the most restrictive medical marijuana programs in the country with few places to purchase it.
While New Mexico’s has a robust medical program that includes a long list of ailments, and the recreational drug has been drastically decriminalized in recent years. How strict is your state when it comes to marijuana legalization?
“It’s nice to watch it being accepted, knowing you were right all the time about it...” Willie Nelson did end up being right about marijuana. Some version of weed (either medical marijuana or CBD oil) is legal in 47 states, which is very different from when Nelson started his advocacy. Nelson certainly isn’t alone, however, with some of the world’s most successful people, from celebrities to politicians to billionaires, either admitting to use or advocating for marijuana legalization.
This “herb” has helped famous people grapple with common health issues, from fibromyalgia to arthritis to cramps. For example, actress Whoopi Goldberg has been using it to help with cramps for decades. On the other hand, artists like Paul McCartney have used it as creative inspiration. Still others, like Bill Gates, have not publicly opened up on using cannabis, but have invested in the new, developing industry of legal weed. These are some of the most successful people in the public eye who have admitted to using “the devil’s cabbage.”
Hemp is a non-psychoactive strain of cannabis sativa containing less than 0.3% THC. More than 1 in 4 Americans have tried CBD products in attempts to relieve pain, stress, anxiety, joint inflammation and poor sleep . The popularity of CBD is projected to lead the industry to $20 billion in revenue by 2024. Most popularly, hemp oil is used to make CBD.
While the only proven use for CBD is reducing epileptic seizures, many users report significant results in a wide variety of conditions. CBD has been shown to regulate serotonin production and reduce inflammation-associated neurodegeneration. Within the past two years, use in America has spread across generations with 40% of users aged 18-29.
Popular places to buy CBD are dispensaries, retail stores, and online. While the hemp industry is expanding, legal obstacles remain in place. Hemp farmers, CBD manufacturers, retailers, and dispensaries are finding alternative methods of financing products, pushing the industry and proving quality of hemp. Are you ready for the future of hemp?
Workers who test positive for illegal drugs also have 59% more absences and 47% more terminations than colleagues. Drug-free environments reduce this level of absenteeism, reduce employee turnover, and lower the risk of liability for workplace accidents. Drug tests do little to impact illegal drug use overall, but in the workplace it encourages a productive and safe professional environment.
Taking a more journalistic approach to join the conversation, the folks at Digit sought to examine shifting public opinion, new taxation policies, and how global economies function under legal marijuana status.
















