The last time I took a bong hit was two decades ago, and I believe that overuse of any narcotic can be dangerous, but I’ve never understood why cannabis marijuana should be illegal. Alcohol isn’t. While there is potential for people to abuse marijuana, it is less dangerous in some ways, and there is no good reason it should be criminalized. The United States (like many countries) has spent a ton of money prosecuting minor drug offenders for decades. Those efforts, along with that money, have been completely wasted.
Now, the political pendulum is shifting. Younger people have worked hard to gain some control over the policy debate in a handful of states which have decriminalized pot entirely or at least for medical purposes (though the federal government still considers it an illegal drug and has the right to prosecute offenders). As the rest of the country has watched, society has not been ripped apart in those places and the number of fatal car crashes has not increased. Instead, the main outcome has been that these states are reaping the rewards of what is becoming a multi-billion dollar business.
As the nation has watched this experiment over the last three years or so, public opinion has shifted decidedly in favor of legalizing marijuana. Even in very conservative states, the opposition has been evaporating faster than you can light up a joint. One by one, politicians’ views have been “evolving” on this issue, and for anyone who has seen how quickly those dominoes fell in this country with the same sex marriage and “me too” movements in recent years, you’ll recognize that this wave is cresting almost as quickly now.
Out with the old and in with the newer views that characterize younger generations.
Suddenly, both political parties have been tripping over one another to be the pro-legalization party. I’ve heard that, even today, if a marijuana legalization bill came up for a vote in Congress, it might well pass.
So if that many politicians are suddenly on board (at least publicly), then what’s been holding back Congress from removing marijuana from the drug schedule in federal law? The Republican Party leadership in Congress remains very conservative with a lot of older members and strong support from the religious right. Even if some of them are publicly supporting pot legalization, the leadership structure there can cow-tow to some of its strongest and most conservative backers by blocking any such legislation (privately and behind the scenes) from seeing the light of day.
Add to that President Donald Trump, who opposes marijuana legalization, and his Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a right-wing Christian who is adamant that the federal government should crack down more severely on marijuana use. The threat of a presidential veto will chill most legislation in Congress.
A Medical marijuana outlet in Los Angeles. Source: Creative Commons from Flickr by Adam Jones.
The Ban on Marijuana Will Fall
But things could look quite a bit different by this time next year. One reason is because a bombshell fell on the Washington political establishment earlier this month. Former Speaker of the House John Boehner, always a staunch conservative and opponent of marijuana legalization, announced that he had accepted a position on the board of a pro-marijuana organization. Some were shocked, others not the least bit surprised. What it proves is that not only the political landscape is changing for marijuana; the earth underneath it has shifted radically.
In November 2018, the United States holds its midterm elections. Trump himself will still be there, since his term lasts two more years, but by all accounts his political party is facing a massacre. His position will be badly weakened. In fact, some experts are forecasting that the opposition Democratic Party could take control of (one or both houses of) Congress in the coming election, mainly due to voters’ anger at a President who is perceived by many to be a dysfunctional fit for the job.
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions, truly out of touch.
Apparently, the votes are there in Congress already (from both Republican and Democratic members) to overturn the federal ban on marijuana. But if the Democratic Party wins enough seats to control even one house of Congress in the coming year, then that will destroy the current leadership’s blockade of bills that seek to change this law.
And after a drubbing at the polls with two years left on his term, one would think it would be difficult for President Trump to stand up and oppose the will of a growing majority of the population. At one time, his anti-marijuana Attorney General may have influenced him to oppose it. But it’s also become clear in the last few months that Trump no longer listens to Jeff Sessions anyway, having ridiculed him publicly and tried to get him to resign at least once already. We also know that Trump is not an ideologue and seems quite flexible in many policy areas.
So as unlikely as it once seemed, Trump may be the chief executive to sign the bill that removes marijuana from the schedule of illegal drugs.
Even if you do not use marijuana and do not like the idea of it being legal, here are a few reasons that you might change your mind. I believe marijuana should be legalized in the U.S., though its use for operating motor vehicles should be regulated, as is the case for alcohol. Perhaps, after reading this, you will agree with me. And even if you do not agree, I hope you will keep an open-minded perspective.
Here are some reasons that I believe it’s time to legalize marijuana
It Decreases the Use of Opioids, Which are Killing People
First, the United States is facing a drug problem of a different sort. Opioids are extremely addictive, they are far more dangerous than marijuana will ever be, and they are killing people in shocking numbers. Many people use prescription opioids for pain and then become addicted, or they obtain them illegally with the same result. But guess what happens when a state legalizes the use of medical marijuana? Researchers studying this found that opioid prescriptions fell by 14% when people had access to medical marijuana instead.
Opioid Deaths Have Been Increasing Rapidly. Photo: Miami Herald. Graphic: CDC/public domain.
“We do know that cannabis is much less risky than opiates, as far as likelihood of dependency," explained University of Georgia Professor W. David Bradford, quoted by National Public Radio (NPR). "And certainly there's no mortality risk" in taking marijuana, as there is with opioids.
Medical Marijuana is a Lifechanger (and Lifesaver) for Some People
Second, if you have never been chronically ill or in pain, then you probably know someone who has. Medical cannabis, which is prescribed by doctors for certain conditions in places where it is allowed, has been a significant help to a lot of patients. In the state where I live, medical marijuana has been permitted since the 1990s. And for friends and family members who have either suffered injuries or had painful health conditions, that marijuana has been life-changing. When prescription medical drugs failed to help or became too expensive, using cannabis with a prescription has allowed them to alleviate their conditions and continue living without so much pain.
Source: Reefer Hawaii.
Third, some people object that marijuana causes more traffic deaths. It doesn’t. Studies show no increase in fatal accidents; in fact, two studies have documented a strong DECREASE in fatal accidents in states which allow some marijuana use. Fatal accidents are the worst kind and it appears alcohol is a far worse culprit there than marijuana.
Beyond fatal accidents, you have to delve deeper into the research to find marijuana’s impact on minor traffic accidents. Since the states of Colorado, Washington, and (more recently) Oregon legalized marijuana, there have been a mixed bag of studies showing some different effects on the roadways. But a closer look shows there is no cause for concern.
While one study found that the rate of minor accidents increased slightly in states where marijuana had been legalized, the study was criticized for a flawed methodology because it used neighboring states for comparisons (which did not have similar populations and traffic patterns). When another study chose comparison states that matched up well in terms of having similar populations and patterns, the results showed no traffic accident increases in the pot states.
In 28 States Where Medical Marijuana is Legal, Traffic Deaths Have Actually DECREASED by 11%
Digging deeper, two other studies tracked traffic deaths in states which had legalized medical cannabis. Since 1996, 28 states have allowed marijuana by prescription for this purpose, providing a much bigger pool of data. Both studies showed not an increase, but a DECREASE in traffic death in states where medical marijuana was legal. The decrease from 1996-2014 was 11% for the general population and an astounding 12% for drivers in the 25-44 age range, which represents the vast majority of marijuana users. The other such study also found an 8-11% DECREASE in fatalities on the road from these states.
Why might there be a decrease? Does marijuana make a person sharper? No, I won’t make that assertion. It’s much more likely that people who are allowed to smoke weed are doing that rather than drinking alcohol, which appears to be far more dangerous for drivers. Less alcohol use might be decreasing the traffic deaths. But please do not drink & drive and do not smoke & drive either. Don’t take Benadryl (a non-prescription allergy drug) & drive, for that matter. Many kinds of drugs impair judgment.
Marijuana does not have the addictive quality of many drugs, but it does come with one troubling fact: marijuana is a gateway to other drugs. People who begin using it are six times more likely to use another drug. That is something we need to recognize as a huge risk and address it somehow. But perhaps if marijuana is no longer illegal, then those who need it will have less reason to move to another drug instead. And as the stigma is removed, more research can probe into the potential marijuana has shown to treat other conditions such as diabetes (where a lower incidence among users has been documented along with possible effects on insulin levels).
It's Time for a Change in Policy
Making marijuana illegal has not been the right approach. The government has spent many millions of dollars fighting drug wars. Let them focus instead on getting help to opioid users, alcoholics, and others with serious drug problems. If marijuana were legalized, it seems that fatal traffic deaths and the use of more dangerous opioids would actually decrease by a significant margin. Does that make marijuana a lesser of evils when it comes to both alcohol and opioid drugs? Then why is the lesser evil the one that’s illegal?
The data is compelling and people are listening. Take a good look and your views may evolve, too. It’s a matter of time now before the United States legalizes marijuana at the federal level. And it will be the right thing to do.
References:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/06/26/what-marijuana-legalization-did-to-car-accident-rates/?utm_term=.353ba07c7aac
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-marijuana-traffic-death-idUSKBN14H1LQ
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28946762
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/04/24/pot-marijuana-2018-congress-218069
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/john-boehner-is-joining-a-marijuana-company-2018-04-11
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/04/02/598787768/opioid-use-lower-in-states-that-eased-marijuana-laws
Images public domain unless noted.
It was recently federally legalized in Canada after several Provinces legalized it individually. Unfortunately, the Federal Government involvement now is forcing a lot of the little guys out, because you are correct, it is a huge money making business.
I'm a firm believer in the power of medical marijuana, having witnessed Brian's (my husband) use with it as an healthier alternative to chemotherapy cancer treatment. And many are unaware that cannabis oil can be a THC/CBD split with a higher CBD concentration...that's the stuff that doesn't get you high. He has tumors in his mouth and the doctors were prepared to filet his tongue, 'scoop' out the tumors, staple it closed, then weekly visits to have the staples removed, flushed, re-stapled. This process continues for a month, then the jaw is wired shut for another month. We were told that hopefully the tumors won't simply return, but of course, no guarantee.
Obviously we bypassed that option and Brian starting using a few drops of CBD oil twice daily. The tumors completely disappeared ! When we moved to Mexico a year ago, we of course didn't transport oil with us and it took me a few months to track some down. During that time, the tumors returned, but I am pleased to say that they have once again disappeared with the oil back in his system.
I also have one son who has high anxiety and is also ultra-intelligent. He's in his early 20's now and smokes pot to 'calm' his brain. Years ago when he was in high school, I had him educationally and psychologically tested and the psychiatrist, a young woman, told me that she totally understood why he smoked it then also, and how it actually benefited his ability to control his thinking more effectively.
In terms of the US, the Federal Government will be on board soon enough considering the 'facts' coming out of several States regarding crime statistics, but mostly I think due to the money being made from it all.
Thanks for an interesting post...obviously it's one I'm passionate about.
Thanks for your personal perspective on this. You have seen how it has helped people. It must be used appropriately, but there's no reason it should be illegal.
The legalization of Marijuana here in the Philippines and also to other countries as well has become an issue for a long time now and then. Some people still don't know whether it is good and beneficial for the health or is it bad that it will somehow cause negative and bad effects to the human body. There are some people who believes that using Marijuana will give side effects to people like having a reddish , blurry and bloodshot eyes, slow reaction of time, of course addiction and so many more. And so because of all these facts, the government in different countries including Philippines does not believe that Marijuana should be legalized. Here in the Philippines, Marijuana is illegal and anyone who is caught using, selling and planting it will be punished by the law.
You are most welcome. And you're absolutely correct...no reason at all!
it supposed to be already been legalized a long time ago, but the health industry could be threatened, marijuana is number one competitor for curing cancer and other illnesses, it could put down some health industry out of business. And the other reason it was delayed from legalizing marijuana is because the corporation haven't planted it yet in a large scale for monopoly reason. Now the corporation already planted in a large scale they have now the monopoly to sell marijuana, it's all about business.
Interesting. I don't know much about Marijuana. So I can't so much about it. But this article gives some points I never knew before.
Marijuana has never been a threat to us rather we have been the one that are threats to the innocent marijuana.
We abuse it, we misuse it, we over use it, we don't even care the right state of mind to use it.
Even medical drugs contains little bits of it to the dosage that is useful and it works, drug manufacturers are licensed to trade and use it because the are very cautious of the dosage impacts and effects while the lay persons don't. So we should speak of of its abuse and not usage.
We are the threats to our own selves and not marijuana.
Well said, damn. You're good!
Yup. The plant will heal the world.
Seriously, I never like to hear about it and now I'm seeing it being useful. Hmmmm. I just hope they wont legalize same sex marriage and find something good about it. It is well
Same sex marriage should always be allowed, and the good about it is, that two people who love each other can be together legally. You should not have any problem with that! it does not matter how you look or what you are !
It is legal in the US; happiness is a good thing for everyone.
Yes sir @wf9877 I Agree with you. this article gives some point we never knew before
There is a focus on this article on legalization for recreational purposes, but there is a long history of medicinal use of cannabis. I believe there are currently 29 states in the US that recognize the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. I myself have a medical prescription for it and use it to manage pain in my shoulder that can't really be addressed unless I have surgery (which may not work) or pills. Easy choice to me...
I do not know much about the subject either, but it's very interesting and broad, you learn a lot
4000 years ago, Marijuana was first appeared only as a plant grown for many uses because of its fiber to make clothing, a paper, and rope in the Chinese culture. Marijuana is a plant that composed of the dried leaves, it has it's flowers, stems and a seed. Pharmacologic speaking, it's principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis is called tetrahydrocannabinol- which is one of 483 known compounds in the plant which includes more or less 84 other cannabinoids. For some, It is used as a psychoactive recreational drug for medical ailments and some also for religious and spiritual purposes.
Marijuana has such a wide range of uses. I've met someone who's using it to treat Parkinson's. It's effect is immediate when the shakes start.
I'm curious if the states that have fully legalised it have any drug driving regulations in place. While it's interesting that accidents have decreased in areas where it's legalised (I too would suspect that it's replacing alcohol) I have experienced the degradation in brings to driving skills when being smoked whilst driving, so would definitely agree they don't go well together.
I think that this is only true because it is criminalised like other drugs. Alcohol and cigarettes aren't gateway drugs. I believe that once be legalised it will no longer be a gateway drug. Is there any information on whether recreational drug use decreases in the states that have legalised it?
My last thoughts are probably aligned with yours. While cannabis is potentially incredibly beneficial in so many ways, I believe, like any drug, it shouldn't be used unnecessarily. I have seen the effects that long term use can have on a healthy mind. It can also be very hard to communicate with someone smoking pot! 😆
Yes, that's my suspicion also. If it were legalized, then perhaps it would not be used as much as that "gateway" to worse drugs. That's still a concern that must be monitored and addressed, but not enough reason to ban it (it could even be another reason not to ban it, if research supported that theory).
I really can't believe that it has taken this long for things to start progressing in this direction. Marijuana is really not all that much different than drinking and therefore I think the same rules should apply. Here in Canada they have been moving towards this for a couple of years now and the legal sale of Marijuana will start this summer. It might have been sooner but there needs to be some rewording of legislation around the issue of driving under the influence etc. I personally see this as something that will become big business quickly. I'm shocked that the governments haven't thought of this as a way to tax people more like they do with tobacco and alcohol. They could have been lining their pockets long ago. It will be interesting to see how the prices of legal pot look once this comes into effect. How much will the government be skimming off the top?
Good comment. Yes, the government will benefit; they always find a way. :)
That took long enough for people to get things straight
It really did.
This chart is for Canada, and also not super clear at first glance, but what its showing is basically that its taken the generation of people who started smoking in the 60s to grow up, and each subsequent generation to keep smoking before its pushed it forward enough that legalization has become inevitable.
Policy changes are so laggy :(
Canada is getting smarter on this also. It takes time.
I would love it if Texas would decriminalize marijuana or at least make it available for medicinal use already.
I have always been an advocate for legal marijuana and still am to this day even if I currently do not partake in it. There is no good reason for it to be criminalized at this point in history. The only reason that it is currently still a crime to possess the "drug" is because of all the brainwashing that went on for 70 years here in the states.
Your article explains a lot of the reasons to legalize it now.
I used it as a medicine in my youth, because I always noticed how much better I felt after having smoked some marijuana.
Okay, spare me the jokes.
I suffered from asthma, allergies, sinus draining, depression, stomach issues and a host of other problems. Yes I was vaccinated to the hilt. Now as an adult, I have researched what vaccinations from those time periods produced and it's obvious why I was sick as a child.
I cleaned up my diet and stop taking OTC medicines.
Mostly self medicated and only took Prescribed Med when necessary.
Pot was my "drug" of choice.
Some people love alcohol, others cocaine, while still others pills and the list goes on and on. But I pass on all the other "drugs" and choose to only smoke weed, just like my brother who drank alcohol didn't like weed but drank beer every day. Everyone has the preference. Some people love caffeine. Some people are addicted to sugar. Marijuana hasn't killed anyone in it's history, but every other thing I've mentioned has. Yet these other "drugs" are not criminalized and I don't advocate that they should be but marijuana is.
To ruin someone's life because they wish to enjoy choosing to do something which harms no one, not even themselves should not be a crime and yet the federal government has imprisoned millions of people for merely possessing the harmless plant, and I say that's what the real crime is.
Excellent points. I'm not laughing; I'm listening and agreeing mostly. We're sold a lot of junk that doesn't make us healthier.
I remember went I was transport marijuana from the village of Kampala our Capital city in Uganda. And even remember the day I said in prision for the that so from then I distance myself form it.
it's meant to keep people from making their own decision and to put more money into the pockets of the rich politicians and governments. It's harmful to the people of their countries only because they become criminals for a plant that harms no one.
Oh no, I meant "spare me the jokes" was for the "because I always noticed how much better I felt after having smoked some marijuana" ....lol
and thank you for this post, I hope that more people talk about this subject and help to do something about removing the stigma of marijuana as something to be feared or kept illegal.
As the younger generations start taking control over politics, the weight will shift in favor of legalizing marijuana, the fight against it does more harm than good and its time to end it, especially since the positive effects out-weight the negatives.
Banning something is never a solution and end up being hypocrite bans, like why is alcohol allowed when it destroys lives and kills thousands of people a year but a silly little plant that helps people relax and mitigate pain is banned? should we ban cars too?
I wonder if there are official numbers in how many people have died in raids against marijuana, i bet the government has killed more people trying to stop plantations and raiding storages than the plant itself... The ban just makes it expensive, harder to get and it promotes crime, making it legal would solve all of this in one big sweep.
The war against marijuana has been a big mistake. Good comment.
My dad's contrasting views against Marihuana seem, to me, very exotic.
He had family members whose lives were destroyed by drugs, so I do understand his fixation against drug usage. I was talking to him about this on the 21st of April, (The day after 4/20). I told him that the 20th is the day of Marihuana, and he was kind of apprehensive about my words.
He said that it's addictive, I told him that a lot of the scientific studies that denied this probably had backing. He said that no, they're addictive, starting point for harder drugs, that it's just a strange campaign much like the one by tobacco companies.
I don't think that he's a conspiracy theorist, but he's got a big collection of cons and seems to be immune to the pros of Marihuana. I myself have never smoked it, but I find it interesting, to say the least, and well, despite my family's opposition, I'd be willing to try it, at least to see what all the fuss is about.
Your dad is a smart man. He has a good point. You should learn from him)
He is :)
Make sure you live stream that event :P
I hear it really gets those creative juices going. I wouldn't know though.
He's lived some difficult experiences and that's meaningful to him. The fallacy seems to be lumping together all of these substances as illegal drugs. I'm not a user, but I have taken a hard look at the data and it seems to suggest that marijuana is not as dangerous as those other drugs.
He always refers to them as a stepping stone or a first step. When I told him that it isn't dangerous or addictive, he said that somehow, they still are, just less, and that people have a strong tendency to go into harder drugs, and that's their demise.
I'm not sure what to believe, but I'm still curious about its effects.
I think the illegality of marijuana is what causes it to become a "stepping stone". You need access to the drug, so you need (or needed, 20 years ago) to find someone to sell it to you. This person was the drug dealer, or a customer of one. The drug dealer had a little of everything -- merchandising = profit -- so if you heard about another drug, like cocaine or crack, you could ask about that, and get it.
I think it's different today, because medical mj doesn't connect you with the drug underground.
On the other hand, doctors overprescribing vicodin, a pretty addictive drug, has become the gateway to heroin. It's because the drugs are similar.
He's right that it's historically been a "gateway" to other drugs. That's something we need to recognize and deal with (as I wrote in my piece), but not reason enough to ban it either.
The approach of drugs in America is quite complex, I believe that to take a step forward in the legalization of marijuana the federal government and other related institutions have to recognize and accept certain errors in their approach to the war on drugs.
They concentrate only on punishing the traffickers, but this situation will not change if your population is the largest consumer in the world, the demand is huge.
In the case of marijuana, it seems to be still a taboo, although the income generated by this industry is not very high compared to others, it will be very beneficial because it reduces expenses of certain government agencies and collects taxes from commercial marijuana activities.
At the regional level the progress has been good but at the federal level the situation is a bit more complicated, although the Democrats are the majority in the congress, I think that this issue would not be so important.
I believe that even the Democrats are the majority in the congress this issue would not be so important for them.
Great comment. I think you have a good understanding of the scheme here.
that's an interesting article. coming a day after I heard about smoke.io. Thinking of it, nothing is necessarily dangerous or wrong, In my opinion there is a reason a purpose for everything and a good purpose I mean. Abuse is why somethings are wrong. Our world have become so biased that we sensor everything and don't even think of the bright side. We are always swift to ignore the actual word each time we use the term "abuse". ABUSE implies that there's a use and in the case of marijuana, we don't think about the fact that the tree has a use, we take our eyes off it and focus on the abuse then penalize both the users and the abusers. There's a purpose for everything and for everything that has a purpose, there's a high tendency for abuse of such. There are drugs even in our hospitals that people abuse, if the state don't term them illegal because a few group of pople abuse them, then why is it any different with marijuana?
I think trump's Move against marijuana is really uncalled for, even if he doesn't have a hand in legalizing it, should he live power, his predecessors will legalize it
I think the crime should be punishing people who abuses it, let's look at the medical breakthrough and not the part where it's being abused.
Laws should be made to legalizing it, it's proven more good than harm, even if we look at the bad side, the better side is so ernomous
On balance, it seems to be more good than bad, especially when you take into account that some people using MJ do so instead of worse alternatives.
Exactly the point @donkeypong, I think if we look on the ironic side some very harmful substances are legal, these things needs to be put straight.
Here in MA in some ways legalization was a step backwards from decriminalization we already had, before if you got caught with weed in the car it would be a $100 civil fine, now that it is legal they will hit you with a DUI and open container charge!
Good point. Regulation is regulation. Hopefully, it's used appropriately to keep people safe. Banning something doesn't seem like a solution either, though.
The fact that Marijuana is legal in some of the states will mean that it will get legalized in the whole of US, it just needs time. But we may never know why Marijuana can't be used as accepted medicine probably because it will compete with modern medicine which is controlled by large corporations. So there is an underlying force behind it.
As a Canadian looking forward to legalization here, I'm hoping that our legalizing can have a far reaching impact given that we will be violating treaties in order to legalize. Once we've broken those norms, I'm hoping we see a number of additional countries begin legalizing in our wake.
For a while I honestly thought the US was going to lap us on legalization. Under Obama it looked like it could happen. I'm glad we're pulling ahead and should be able to lock down some export markets, but I do hope the US follows suit and legalizes sooner than later.
Canada's experience has been interesting to watch also. I think things are going in the right direction on this issue on both sides of the border. It's a long haul, though.
I think the main reason why alcohol was legal and legalized, while pot hasn't been, is because fewer people smoke pot.
While there was a period of alcohol prohibition, largely due to widespread drunkenness, and the reaction to it, this didn't last too long. Drinking was far too popular.
Tobacco has been kept legal by lobbying by tobacco companies.
It's hard for kids to control overusing it.
Even though I support using it as a medicine, it can help people who have problems with health. And also I don't care if adults will use it or not.
Just hope that they will keep this shit away from kids.
This post give me a better view point of marijuana. Thanks for the INFO
It's about time! Next 4/20 will be LIT!!
In Poland, politicians have invented an absurd tax on cryptocurrencies. It's good that the healing marijuana legalized. I feel like communism
we should not wait for the time when the Government or any agencies will come with a decision to ban we should ban from our own end this will automatically get solved
Cannabis (medical and sometimes even recreational) legalization is becoming a reality in more and more states, and it's a matter of time when it will be legalized on the federal level.
I've actually written a business plan for a huge Cannabis cultivation & oil extraction complex in California, it was a 14 million USD investment. 😎
@donleypong, Absolutely you give massive social problem indeed conversation. Before reading this article I never accept to marijuana legalization. As my country marijuana, cannabis already banned and if sell or transportation given legal action against them. But everyone know they all doing via high class politicians. They cannot arrested in their government period. They used their political power. I told my country situation.
Marijuana usage can be addiction. Then lot of problem happen to younger age persons. They immediately addict to marijuana.
After read above contents I agree with marijuana legalization to USA. But need to controlling level. Exceed limit couldn't agree more. Thanks again posted term topic to community.
Marijuana has its own down and up side. The good it does health ways is enough to emphasize.it doesn’t cause no harm but over use of it could, and it is understood that alcohol is even deadlier than marijuana.
Donald Trump should make attempts towards making sure it is not abused because that is when it may pose a threat to the community. The ban only makes it more expensive and this even is for the benefits of those that deal it.
What ever the decision made on it a set of people will make more money from either of the choice.
That's very interesting to read article @donkeypong. Before talking Marijuana legalization, I see Marijuana industries massive growing since 2013-2019. Your information high valued and deserve to project creators like as advance level students. Marijuana seems no deaths. Most of peoples die from tobacco using. Then alcohol etc... I agree with marijuana legalization in United states. But I never used and don't hope to use in future. Healthy marijuana has most benefits.
I know most of Americans using Opioids still driving. Then lot of life lost cuz vehicle accidents. Opioids is most dangerous weapon to the community. Have any rules for control or ban Opioids in USA? But Healthy Marijuana hasn't indeed these. So I finally guess this is a better suggestion. If it will get legal support to Marijuana legalization most of benefits get to Americans.
really very great post dear..always sharing valuable post in your blog.. Marijuana is a victim of trade wars at international level. Or at least used to be.Last month a bill passed through Greek parliament legalizing the Pharmaceutical use of it and all its line of production through monopoly trade with the state. Probably a trend that will spread in Europe at Amsterdam's paradigm in the near future. Hopefully in the future will be free to make their choices and are educated enough to distinguished use vs abuse at all things.thanks to sharing for your best post... just excellent.. @donkeypong my dear friend..
I hope trump is Move
against marijuana is really uncalled for, even if he doesn't have a hand in legalizing it...but I confused marjuana....?
Super insightful read about the present and future of MMJ. Resteemed!
I fully read this post. It is a complete political post. I will make a comment about the post. I think it is 100% correct.
From all this, I see no argument the activists against marijuana can hold on to to stop it from being legalized. Clearly the drug can't be compared to alcohol in causing road accidents in any country around the globe. In any case I see it as a treatment in lots of ways, though I only understood the slowing of tumor growth; Why continue the fight against it when it's effective in many of these ways.
While it may be safe to legalize the use of marijuana....
Are there any chances that it will not be abused??
I think the same. If they just let it go and legalize it.
People will start abusing it.
When I see a jar of Nutella. At first, I take a small spoon of it to spread it on the bun.
But the taste is so good that I eat it in a few days...
It's bullshit to compare it to cigarettes or alcohol. I don't care if adults will use it.
I just don't want kids to use it (If only they need it as medicine from disease).
Making it illegal hasn't done anyone a service. I agree we need to be careful; all things in moderation.
Well... I don't know. I'm just hating on people who use drugs on kids. I'm not really into all this legalisation situation. I'm fine with both results lol.
It will always be abused by some, but the addiction rates for marijuana are less than that of cigarettes and alcohol. IIRC alcohol has something like an 18% addiction rate, cigarettes has an 19% addiction rate, and marijuana is 15-16% addiction rate I believe.
Everything comes with good and bad, but in the case of marijuana the worst part about it has been the effects of prohibition. Its time to move past it.
trump is Move against marijuana is really uncalled for, marjuana is save i hope
It really comes down to this, should people be free to do what they want to their bodies? Or should the government make laws against and penalize people for doing things to their own bodies?
I vote freedom, there will be death and chaos just like there is death and chaos now regardless of the legal status of drugs.
Human behavior is hard to control with laws, the real issue is an ignorant populace that can't handle freedom.
Besides I think that marijuana should be treated just like alcohol. Taxed the living snot out of, age limit, and you cannot drive under the influence.
Short term and long term effects of it are nowhere near as bad as alcohol and tobacco usage is. You rarely hear about a violent pot head or someone crashing into a car full of innocents.
100% my opinion!
especially in medical treatment it's a mess they not use marijuana much more, but there's the big Pharma behind...
resteemed
Wow wow wow, you see with what I read... I’m proud to say I’m 420 friendly. I was thinking I was gonna be discriminated when I posted a freestyle song on steemit talking about weed, Loud a species of weed in my country
Lyrics
I’d love to share the freestyle with you on your permission though, I have the post on my blog Incase you’d love to find it . I called it highway freestyle and that was recorded on my phone.
Thanks for throwing this light at us, this I will show to all my friends and believe me if no one retweets this I will.
Happy belated 420 day !!!
How did the wrong things suddenly starts to feel like the right things? Jeeezz
This is heart-breaking to me. Seriously, I never like to hear about it and now I'm seeing it being useful. Hmmmm. I just hope they wont legalize same sex marriage and find something good about it as well. It is well
Owk I think I your headline screams good news.
The truth is, its only an illitrates that would still say that marijuana is overly bad at this time and age. I saw a video yesterday where a man described marijuana perfectly and to be honest I realised that marijuana has more positive effect to life than negative. I even got to learn that marijuana can't be overdosed ,meaning that no matter how much you take it, it wouldn't have an adverse effect on you contrary to popular opinions.
Sometime last year I saw a video of a man who was suffering from a rare sickness and the only thing that could put him to rest was just an inhalation a marijuana smoke.
For a natural leaf which has so much advantages to be banned and prohibited, I think it's been politically orchestrated and if they have decided to legalize it now, then it's good news for us all and for the medical practitioners
The prohibition of drugs has been ripping apart America's social fabric since it's inception. It is a policy designed and intended to suppress the poor and minorities, one government policy that actually works as intended. It has been going on for generations and it will take a few generations to heal the wounds it has caused to so many people and families. Sure people with records may still bear that burden but hopefully their children will not have to.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
What I strongly believe we need to do is simply repeal cannabis prohibition, and that's it.
I concur that "legalization isn't going far enough to help the people who actually suffered the most from the Government's war on drugs," and would like to add that "legalization" and "decriminalization" are actually just different forms of prohibition. Any form of prohibition is going to discriminate against any number of Americans, and is also primarily designed so the government can get money. They run law enforcement like a business. Not enough "crimes" being convicted equals no money for them from the private prison system. We don't need special tax structures on it for the government to get their cut. They'll get their cut with all the "new" jobs entering the workforce and paying income taxes for their revenue. We don't need to pay for a government-regulated market for it with our taxes, either. If people would like to have some sort of regulated market, that's great, and I'm sure we can figure that out without the government's help through the use of independent nonprofit organizations. Those who choose to trust their friend up the street for their medicine without going through hoops of regulation should have the right to do that as well.
There are so many reasons we should just repeal cannabis prohibition. I've been discussing these reasons for the last 2 decades, and I'll keep doing it forever, if necessary, but I'll keep it brief brief for now...
I just confused this subject... i hope marjuana is save....
A proverbial green rush is sweeping the United States of America. Once unthinkable, marijuana legalization is now taking hold in several states across the country.
After a long fight against the forces of “reefer madness” public opinion has swung in favor of the green economy. Now marijuana is legal for adult use in nine US states and momentum in other states is growing. Despite a newly-hostile Justice Department, support for marijuana legalization remains at an all-time high of 64 percent – including 51 percent support among Republicans, according to Gallup.
It wasn’t always this way. Although marijuana has been used for thousands of years for medical purposes, it was criminalized in the 1910s and 20s. The first anti-marijuana laws were enacted in the Midwest and the Southwest, targeted at Mexican Americans and Mexican immigrants. Racial stereotypes have long been used as the impetus to enact harsh anti-drug laws. Early anti-cocaine laws were directed at Black men, and the first anti-drug laws in the US were targeted against Chinese immigrants.
It was the principal state to legitimize medicinal maryjane in 1996. California turned out to be much more pot-accommodating in 2016 when it made it lawful to utilize and convey up to an ounce of maryjane.
The law additionally allows grown-ups 21 and over to purchase up to eight grams of maryjane concentrates, which are found in edibles, and become close to six cannabis plants for every family.
Be that as it may, not all Californians can legitimately smoke pot, contingent upon where they live. Numerous urban communities in the Central Valley, including Fresno and Bakersfield, have moved to boycott recreational deals.
A study even found that the number of heart attacks increased within an hour after a person smoked marijuana. Even so, it seems unfair to see marijuana based solely on the bad effects it causes. Cannabis also has a good side and can be used in terms of current health properly. Here are some of the exclusive benefits that cannabis can provide for health.
Alzheimer's Based on research by Scripps Research Institute, cannabis can find Alzheimer's disease that attacks the brain. These results have been released in the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics.
Anxiety Researchers from Harvard Medical School found that marijuana has an effect that can help calm a person. Of course, this is only done with the use in the right dosage. High doses can have a negative effect of improving paranoid thoughts and thoughts.
Arthritis Cannabis can relieve pain and pain, as well as inflammation associated with arthritis disease.
Cancer Research published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics found that the substances found in cannabis can 'turn off' a gene called "Id-1" that cancer cells to spread throughout the body.
Epilepsy In a study at Virginia Commonwealth University, researchers found that marijuana can to stop epileptic seizures. However, this study has only been done on animals and has not been tested in humans.
Glaucoma Researchers are currently developing new drugs with basic ingredients to treat pain caused by glaucoma. This is done after the researchers know that marijuana is very effective to treat glaucoma. Glaucoma is a condition that improves the ability of vision.
Lung health in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that cannabis can increase lung capacity. This is contrary to the beliefs of many who can lower lung capacity and ability.
Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease that attacks central nerves such as brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. A study conducted at the Canadian Medical Association Journal found that cannabioids found in marijuana can reduce symptoms and pain caused by MS.
Nausea Marijuana contains at least 60 chemicals called cannabinoids and THC that can give the effect of 'hovering' in the user. However, in the right dosage and way, THC can also be used for flavor, as well as in nausea-operated medications.
Parkinson's Disease Research published in Today's medPage found that cannabis can be used to address and improve motor skills in patients affected by Parkinson's disease.
These are some of the health benefits of cannabis. This does not mean you can directly use marijuana if you have any of the above diseases. The use of marijuana should still use appropriate procedures and in appropriate doses to get the benefits optimally and prevent the adverse effects that cannabis can provide.
Thank you for posting this very detailed response. I actually posted a short commentary on marijuana's useful and inert cousin, hemp, earlier this week. Sure marijuana is a drug but it's ridiculous that hemp wound up as collateral damage and isn't legal to grow in the USA either - but you can import and sell it. Great planning, right? Anyway, finally old man McConnell himself is at least open to freeing up hemp from the laws against it.
As for marijuana, there's so much fear mongering against it and it's just ridiculous that people are spending so much time, energy and money just to make marijuana out to be the demon it isn't. The opportunity cost of railing against marijuana as opposed to say actual problems is huge; such is the cost of archaic, selfish and short sighted leadership. But like you say, at least the winds are changing and former fighters against it are waking up to the idea that maybe it shouldn't be illegal after all.
Hello, great greetings from Venezuela @donkeypong. First of all excellent publication, you really are an excellent writer and write perfect. Regarding the issue, I totally agree with you, regarding the legalization of marijuana in the United States. This is a topic that has been in conversation for years and they have not yet wished to accede to the governments to fully legate it in all the United States, in many states of the USA it is totally legal as for example: California, Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts , Nevada, Oregon and Washington. In these 8 states marijuana is completely legal and in those states it is possible to see how people with schizophrenia diseases and combustion problems manage to be calm using doses of marijuana, since as you comment on marijuana in these states, besides It has scientifically confirmed it is completely medicinal and can be used as medicine for those sick people. Since January 1, California legalized marijuana and, in addition to the other 8 states that are legal, there are 29 states that allow the use of medical marijuana. Little by little more states of the United States (USA) put on the green shirt. And is that with the legalization of marijuana in California for cultivation, consumption and commercialization for recreational purposes, there are already 8 states out of 50 that are in a similar situation, although with some nuances. In 29 of the 50 states of (USA) can marijuana be used as medicine, then why not legate it in the 50 states ?. I just hope that the government begins to see things in front, in the end I think they will have to legalize it because there are many people who are in favor of the legalization, and this is a matter that has years and the government has not wanted access, so I hope change your mind and legalize so that everyone there is happy, both the one who consumes it for pleasure, as for the sick. Excellent post my friend, thank you this is a topic that stings and spreads but hopefully come positive things for the US regarding this issue. Blessings.
Come to think of it, smoke has never been the threat but the users are the greatest threat.
How to you regulate its use?
I don't believe alcohol sits in the same chair with cannabis if you ask me but you will agree with me that people drink and find themselves in ditches or even go ahead to commit several offences .
Marijuana is there as a plant and can be used positively but when there is abuse of powers(this power is the power you have as a human being to make things work or to take that stuff or not)then there will be trouble.
Like you said, medical marijuana. This means that it has medicinal values and can be used for the purpose of treating or preventing or managing situations and should not be available across the counter.
Let us look at tramadol for example..it is now abused by many.
NSAID(Non0Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs) should not be available across the counter but you find that this still gets into the hands of those who should not have access to this.
In a nutshell I am saying it doesn't matter if legalized or not except the government as a whole manages other stuffs like NSAIDs, alcohol usage and all.
Hi donkeypong,
We need to legalize 420 asap. I am all for it. Amazing how not 1 person had overdose on this useful herb deemed illegal. So backwards in this country.
I like to see you post & thanks a lot to share this content with us.