Length (in years) of federal prohibition of alcohol: 14 (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica).
Length (in years) of federal prohibition of cannabis: 73 (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica).
Number of ailments for which cannabis was recommended in a 2,000-year-old Chinese medical text: 100-plus (Source: 1999 Institute of Medicine report).
Average percentage of body fat gained by AIDS Wasting Syndrome patients after five weeks of taking medical cannabis: 1 (Source: 1993 Annals of Pharmacotherapy report).
Average percentage of pain reduction described by HIV patients after using cannabis in 2004 study: 34 (Source: UC San Francisco study).
Percentage of HIV patients in 2008 study who reported pain reduction from “strong” to “mild-to-moderate” after using cannabis: 46 (Source: UC San Diego study).
Percentage of chemo patients in two clinical studies who reported cannabis to be effective in relieving their nausea: 90 (Source: Sallan and Zinberg report, Annals of Internal Medicine).
Percentage of registered Republicans surveyed in New York State who favor cannabis legalization: 71 (Source: 2010 Quinnipiac University Poll).
Percentage of registered Democrats surveyed in New York State who favor cannabis legalization: 78 (Source: 2010 Quinnipiac University Poll).
Ratio of surveyed Washington, D.C., residents who favor allowing doctors to recommend cannabis to patients: 4 in 5 (Source: February Washington Post poll).
Average number of Michigan residents who register for the state’s medical-marijuana program every day: 77 (Source: State of Michigan).
Closest distance (in feet) from “sensitive-use areas” (like schools, parks and libraries) that L.A. dispensaries are allowed to locate: 500 (Source: City of Los Angeles).
Closest distance (in feet) from sensitive-use areas that La Puente dispensaries are allowed to locate: 700 (Source: City of La Puente).
Estimated number of medical-cannabis collectives, dispensaries and related services in California as of December 2008: 2,100 (Source: 2009 The Times report).
Percentage of surveyed U.S. males ages 50 to 54 who say they used cannabis in previous year: 10 (Source: U.S. Substance Abuse & Medical Health Services Assn. survey).
Percentage of surveyed U.S. females ages 50 to 54 who say they used cannabis in the previous year: 4 (Source: U.S. Substance Abuse & Medical Health Services Assn. survey).
Number of U.S. states with medical-marijuana programs as of February: 14 (The New York Times).
Number (in millions) of U.S. residents who live in states where medical marijuana is legal as of February: 129 (Source: U.S. Census data).