Here are some facts to consider about marijuana addiction.

Marijuana is the most used illegal drug in the United States. Nearly 69 million Americans over the age of 12 have tried marijuana at least once.

Marijuana is California’s largest cash crop.

Today’s marijuana is 10 to 15 times stronger than it was in the 60’s

Reaction time for motor skills, such as driving is reduced by 41% after smoking 1 joint and is reduced 63% after smoking 2 joints.

There have been over 7,000 published scientific and medical studies documenting the damage that marijuana poses. Not one study has shown marijuana to be safe.

Data has shown that people high on marijuana show the same lack of coordination on standard “drunk driver” tests as do people who have had to much to drink.

The daily use of 1 to 3 marijuana joints can produce the same lung damage and potential cancer risk as smoking five times as many cigarettes.

Marijuana is the second most common drug, after alcohol, present in the blood stream of non-fatally and fatally injured persons.

Among teens 12 to 17, the average age of first trying marijuana was 14 years old.

A yearly survey of students in grades 8 to 12 shows that 23% of 8th graders have tried marijuana at least once and by tenth grade, 21% are “current” users. Among 12th graders, nearly 50% have tried marijuana at least once, and about 24% were current users.

Marijuana is a complex material containing 421 chemicals, 60 of which are only found in marijuana

33.6% of students listed to have used marijuana in the last year and 20% were listed to have used in the last month.

75% of drug-related criminal charges are connected to marijuana.

65% of people arrested for marijuana related crimes are for simple possession.

Approximately 50,000 Canadians are arrested each year for marijuana related crimes.

600,000 Canadians have a criminal record for simple possession of marijuana.

Estimates put the value of the marijuana industry to the British Columbia Economy at anywhere between $2 billion and $10 billion, making it one of British Colombia’s top three industries.