CHINA China has the largest population in the world, at roughly 1.36 billion people. There are about 940 million people aged b...
CHINA
China has the largest population in the world, at roughly 1.36 billion people. There are about 940 million people aged between 15-64 years old in China. In 2010, there were about 5.5 million young people (aged 0-14) in China. By 2020, China's population is expected to reach 1.44 billion, accounting for 23% of the world's population. About 60% of Chinese live in urban areas. More than half of China's total population lives in coastal provinces. China's total population reached 1.38 billion in 2010. China is the biggest exporter of goods in the world.
China has been the largest producer of hemp for over 2,000 years. Today, it is still a major exporter of hemp products. In 2012, China produced about 25% of the world's total output of hemp fiber. In 2013, China was the second-largest global consumer of hemp products after France. China is the world’s leading importer of hemp seeds. China is the world's largest producer of hemp seed oil. Chinese farmers have used hemp for thousands of years. They began cultivating hemp around 4000 BC. China has become the world's largest producer of hemp and grows over 90% of the global production. In 2018, China produced 1,813,000 tons of hemp fiber, making it the leading producer globally.
China's total annual cultivation area of hemp was 4.7 million hectares in 2017. This represents about 15-20% of the worldwide total. Hemp is mainly cultivated in the provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong. In 2016, the average yield per hectare was 6.6 t/ha, while the average cost per ton was US$ 2,200. China has a long history of cannabis cultivation dating back thousands of years. It was first introduced to China from India during the Spring and Autumn Period (771–476 BC). In the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), cannabis became a popular medicine. Cannabis seeds were carried around on silk in small packets. These packets are still used to this day in Chinese traditional medicine. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), cannabis was used to treat tuberculosis and leprosy. This practice continued into the Song Dynasty (960-1279) when it became a form of medication for asthma and menstrual pain.
The use of cannabis spread throughout China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Because of its uses for medicinal purposes, the government banned cannabis. In 1593, the ban against cannabis was lifted, but it took until 1842 before the government officially legalized the production and sale of the drug. However, due to the many side effects of synthetic pharmaceuticals, cannabis began to gain popularity once again. Today, cannabis is still widely grown for recreational purposes.
China's Cannabis Industry Is Booming
According to a recent report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance, China’s legal cannabis market is expected to reach $9 billion by 2022 that’s about half of North America’s current total. And, even though the industry is still in its infancy, Chinese consumers are already showing their taste for legal weed. According to a study published by Statista last year, nearly 20 percent of Chinese citizens have tried cannabis at least once in their lives. That’s compared to only 8 percent of Americans who have done the same.
Legalization Hasn't Stopped Illegal Sales
The illicit market has been thriving for years. It was estimated that illegal sales accounted for 60-70% of global cannabis sales in 2018. But, while legalization may have slowed down the growth of the black market, it hasn’t stopped it yet.
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