How many people die each year from marijuana?

Statistically, death directly from marijuana overdose is extremely rare. The CDC reports that between 1999 and 2007, there were 26 deaths with marijuana as an underlying cause, in the United States. This was out of a counted population of 2,615,523,905. When it comes to smoking, most statistics say it will take about 800 joints in a short period of time to actually overdose a person to the point of death. A person should be vomiting or passed out well before this point. When used long term, the smoke itself does contain chemicals that can eventually cause respiratory issues, such as COPD or cancer.

Secondary from overdose, the CDC and the National Highway Traffic Administration have shown that in the 1990s, nearly 20% of drivers killed in traffic incidents had narcotics in their system. During autopsy, the most common drug present was marijuana. This was followed by cocaine, benzodiazepines, and amphetamines. In the 2000s, the number appears to be closer to 25%.

Recently, there are newer "marijuana" synthetics on the market. They are known by names such as K2 or Spice. These are actually directly proving to be much more dangerous than natural marijuana, and there are fatalities being directly related to overdose.