52% of U.S./Canada Population Live in Areas Where Medical Cannabis is Legally Available

52% of U.S./Canada Population Live in Areas Where Medical Cannabis is Legally Available

By Rick Thomspon, The Compassion Chronicles

52% of the people living north of Mexico have access to legal medical marijuana.

Population tallies from the 24 US states with medical marijuana programs, one federal District and the country of Canada, which has a national program, show that the majority of those citizens are living in harmonious comfort with regulated medical marijuana production, distribution and use.

The number was contained in small print in an infographic published Nov. 23rd on Visual Capitalist’s website. Their article, “The Future of Cannabis: Five Things Investors Need To Know,” summarized the populations this way:

23 states with medical marijuana- 148.6 million people; Washington, D.C.- .7 million people; Canada- 35.2 million people; total of 184 million people, or 52% of the combined US/Canada population, per Visual Capitalist.

The news gets even better: Visual Capitalist failed to include Hawaii in their tally of medical marijuana states and population, as reflected by their infographic. The correct number of medical marijuana states is 24 (see NORML’s website for a full listing).

The Pacific state’s small population (1.4 million) doesn’t significantly increase the percentage of people covered in both the US and Canada by medical marijuana laws (185 million), but it’s proper to set the record straight. Especially since Hawaii’s medical marijuana program was signed into law more than 15 years ago.

15 other U.S. states have limited medical marijuana laws, commonly referred to as CBD-Only laws, and their populations were not included in the Visual Capitalist population tallies. CBD-Only states allow patients access to marijuana medicines with specific limitations on psychoactive components. These laws are relatively new and are present in places without traditional medical marijuana programs.

Two other states have decriminalized the possession and/or use of recreational marijuana and still do not allow medical use. According to NORML, those states are Ohio, which recently rejected a legalization proposal, and Nebraska.

Source: The Compassion Chronicles