Here’s what marijuana actually does to your body and brain

As of Election Day 2020, 1 in 3 Americans live in a state where adults can legally buy cannabis. Here’s what we know about the drug.

Bob Leeds, co-owner of Sea of Green Farms, shows some of the marijuana he produces during a tour of his company’s facility in Seattle, Washington June 30, 2014. Photo: Jason Redmond/Reuters

By Erin Brodwin and Julia Naftulin

Marijuana’s official designation in the US as a Schedule 1 drug — something with “no currently accepted medical use” — means it has been pretty tough to study.

That remains the case, despite the fact that, at a state level, the drug is increasingly accessible for the general public.

As of Election Day 2020, when Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota gave the green light to marijuana use for adults, 1 in 3 Americans live in a state where they can legally buy cannabis.

New York will soon become the 15th state to legalize recreational cannabis. On March 28, New York state officials announced they introduced a bill to make the substance legal for all adults and would vote on the legislation as early as Tuesday.

Despite the limitations to scientists studying the drug, a growing body of research and numerous anecdotal reports have found links between cannabis and several health benefits, including pain relief and the potential to help with certain forms of epilepsy.