education
May: Outdoor Grow Guide
The sun is shining and the days are finally getting longer, all signs that the outdoor growing season is fast approaching. It’s right around this time of year that outdoor growers become giddy with anticipation as summer creeps into view. In this month-by-month guide, we at Marijuana.com, will walk through the preparations needed for a […]
Grow Guide: Choosing the Best Lights
Looking to upgrade your indoor grow to the next level? Or starting your first grow and overwhelmed with the amount of customizable options? Today, I’m going to walk you through the illuminating world of grow lights. If you’re starting from scratch, check out our Guide to Starting Your Own Grow for all your equipment needs. Light […]
How-To: Germinate Cannabis Seeds
If you’re a cannabis enthusiast there is nothing more satisfying than growing your own stash of the magical herb. Worried you don’t have a green-thumb? Don’t fret! We, at Marijuana.com, are here to walk alongside you during this journey. If you are starting fresh, check out our Guide to Starting Your Own Grow to see […]
SXSW Festival: Music, Technology, Independent Films … and Marijuana Mentor Sessions?
Together again. Music, technological innovation and the flourishing marijuana industry: Captivated by the perfect partnership that is the SXSW festival, the swelling crowds at the 2016 event will be exposed to the newest developing technologies, enjoy relatively obscure indie bands, the artfulness of independent films, and four informative courses on the cannabis industry. During this […]
A Look at Who Uses Medical Marijuana
Any new studies on medical marijuana are interesting because we only are recently coming out of the dark ages, a decades long moratorium on marijuana research. A recent study conducted at University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), focused on the demographics of those with medical marijuana cards. Primarily, this study was concerned with residents from the state of California.
The findings were very interesting and shed light on who is actually using medical cannabis. Of all marijuana card holders in California, 73% are male, with 62% being white. Craig Reinarman, the professor in charge of conducting this research, compared his findings with U.S. Census data. He found that cannabis users are “on average somewhat younger, report slightly more years of formal education and are more often employed than the general population.”
Some of these findings likely confirmed stereotypes while much of the data certainly defies other long held beliefs. For one, it is interesting to note that California marijuana card holders are more likely to be employed. Additionally, this study shed light on why marijuana is being used. While some believe it only to have social value, the study breaks down the ailments that card holders are treating with cannabis. The most common issue being treated with marijuana was neck/back pain. Other prominent conditions being treated were sleep disorders, anxiety/depression, muscle spasms, and arthritis. One statistic that was uncovered in the research was very telling. Of all card holders, 80% said they had tried prescription medication first. After they did not find desired results and treatment, they turned to medical marijuana.
More research is expected to be done in this area. It would be interesting to see if other states produce similar data. Marijuana research is still rubbing the crust out of its eyes after a long hibernation, but we’ll stay tuned for more up to date research.
For more information on the UCSC report, go to:
MercuryNews.com | UCSC report: Who uses medical marijuana and for what ailments?