Antiquity shows us the history of how long humans have utilized cannabis for medicine; ancient texts from China, India, Egypt, the Middle East and across the Roman Empire all cite cannabis for treating a wide range of conditions. In Europe, Materia Medica from the Middle Ages onwards acknowledged the healing power of cannabis for conditions ranging from headaches to rheumatism, gout, depression and womens’ reproductive health.

In 1850 the United States Pharmacopeia listed cannabis as treatment for over thirty ailments, including opiate addiction, alcoholism and convulsive disorders.

Despite the thousands of years of cannabis’ medical credibility it all ended with the criminalization of cannabis in the twentieth century.

Since the 1960s cannabis activists have pushed back the negative propaganda surrounding cannabis and worked tirelessly for legalization. This persistence eventually led us to legal medical use with the 1996 Compassionate Care Act in California and full state legalization 20 years later with the 2016 MURSA Act.

Unfortunately, despite the many significant scientific advances the old negative stereotypes of the shiftless, lazy pot-smoker still lingers in the media and popular imagination.

A new large scale study of adult cannabis users in the U.S. and Canada reveals a very different reality and discredits these outdated tropes. Dutchie, the largest cannabis tech company in the world recently commissioned a study of 5000 adult participants to find out what the modern cannabis user is really like.

Instead of the unmotivated bedraggled pothead they found that 54% of users in the sample were highly educated with a college degree or higher to their credit. Users were also more likely to be active in the workforce and well represented professionally: doctors, lawyers, professors, nurses and therapists.

Women were the highest users with treatment for reproductive health, depression and insomnia most quoted. The big takeaways, 58% of users led an active lifestyle exercising regularly and taking hikes and 57% considered themselves health conscious, even preferring recreational cannabis over alcohol and tobacco.

Overall the study showed a diverse group of intelligent, hard-working community minded people who are embracing the scientific discoveries of medical cannabis and that normal day citizens are making the most of the options provided by the new legalized environment; the study also showed that safe, transparent and legal procurement was a high priority for the users, 55% using dispensaries and 24% buying online.

Although we face stiff challenges in the 21st century, the adoption of legal cannabis shows how our culture is capable of radical change. This new data is a positive indication that appreciation and understanding of the value of cannabis has permeated our society on many levels. Baby Boomers who now hold seniority in society are significant influencers and users. Our growing awareness of how many different uses and applications cannabis has can only be a harbinger of positivity for the future.