Short answers, pulled from the story.
Archaeologists uncovered cannabis residue inside burners within the 2,500-year-old tombs of Jirzankal Cemetery in the Pamir Mountains. This site in Western China holds the oldest known evidence of cannabis smoking for its psychoactive effects.
Tetrahydrocannabinol serves as the main psychoactive component within the Cannabis plant. Scientists identify at least 65 other cannabinoids including cannabidiol among the 483 known compounds found in the species.
Uruguay became the first country to legalize recreational use of cannabis in December 2013 under President Jose Mujica. Canada legalized consumption for recreational purposes on the 17th of October 2018, becoming the second nation to do so.
A systematic meta-analysis showed that cannabis users double the chance of dying from heart disease. Cannabis users had a 29% higher risk of heart attack and a 20% higher risk of stroke than non-users.
In 2006, cannabis was estimated to have been a $36 billion market though this figure remains challenged. The UN World Drug Report stated cannabis was the world's most widely produced drug in 2010 with main producing countries including Afghanistan, Canada, China, Colombia, India, Jamaica, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UK, and US.