We’re fairly certain that most people have, at some point, had a discussion about cannabis.
The use of marijuana is a subject that continues to be a hot topic because of the controversy around it. It’s illegal under federal law because it was deemed to have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. This is something that research increasingly shows to be inaccurate.
So should the cannabis law be changed?
Several states already have more lenient laws towards the use of cannabis, some in direct conflict with the federal law. While some allow for varying degrees of the substance to be used for medical purposes, in others, it’s completely legalized.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the reasons why legalizing cannabis could be beneficial.
Medical Uses
Why is marijuana being increasingly used for health reasons?
The least controversial form of the drug is CBD (cannabidiol). This is because marijuana in this form has very few intoxicating properties. The CBD-dominant strains contain very low amounts of THC, which is the chemical responsible for the ‘high’ you get from using marijuana.
Patients experience numerous benefits from taking CBD. These include:
- Relief from insomnia
- Reduced anxiety
- Help with spasticity
- Pain relief
- Treatment of epilepsy
The most common use of medical marijuana in the US is for pain relief.
The effects of marijuana aren’t strong enough to be used for severe pain, such as for post-surgery or broken bones. However, it’s incredibly useful in dealing with chronic pain, which millions of people will experience, especially as they age. It can be used as an alternative for patients who are unable to take NSAIDs due to problems with kidneys or ulcers.
One of the main areas where there are few other alternatives is as a solution for nerve pain. This has been particularly effective in people with multiple sclerosis as the other drugs available for this are highly sedative. Patients often prefer marijuana as a substitute as it allows them to continue their activities without feeling distanced from themselves.
Marijuana is also known to be a muscle relaxant. It can be used to reduce the tremors caused by Parkinson’s disease. The user in this review states that the ‘Grape Ape’ strain is known to help with both chronic pain and muscle spasms.
A few other instances where marijuana can be used as treatment include:
- Migraines
- Relief of cancer symptoms
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- PTSD
- Wasting syndrome due to HIV
- Severe weight loss.
Quality Control
The government is fairly lenient about the use of medical marijuana, so why does it need to be legalized?
The main benefit of making cannabis legal at a federal level is for the safety of its users. Production of substances being illegal makes it next to impossible to impose any rules about the quality of the products being produced.
The products available to the general public by way of the black market are not subject to any legalized testing. This means that people are buying something that they don’t know anything about. There are numerous dangers in how the drug can be handled and prepared, or what may have been added to it.
One of the main reasons for drug-fatalities is due to a lack of quality control. If marijuana was legalized, taxed, and produced by legitimate companies, it would be made much safer for all users.
Reduced Crime Rates
The illegality of marijuana helps to fuel the need for drug cartels and black-market dealings.
The war on drugs has undeniable similarities to the issues of the prohibition of alcohol. While the prohibition of alcohol was in place, the violent crime rate in the US rose exponentially. The wave of crime ignited by the ban stopped abruptly after the legalization of alcohol in 1933.
The demand for products allows criminal groups to become increasingly organized and well funded, leading to an increase in corruption. Experts contend that the legalization of marijuana would be a massive step towards ending drug-related crime across the globe.
The current demand for marijuana is only filling the pockets of criminals and continuing the war with drug-related crime. It would benefit both drug users and the legal entities for marijuana to be taxed and regulated.
Awareness
It’s a fact that using cannabis can be psychologically addictive to certain individuals.
With so many advances in our knowledge of mental health issues in recent years, we now know the best ways to deal with this kind of addiction. People are more likely to be open about their struggles if there’s less stigma surrounding their use of the drug.
If people are presented with accurate information, then they are in a much better position to make intelligent decisions relating to their use of a substance.
Conclusion
Looking at the facts, there are several benefits to the legalization of marijuana.
We can see positive results from states that have already decided to lift the ban on cannabis. However, there are many additional benefits to making the drug legal at a federal level.
While changing the laws about marijuana won’t change overnight, there’s enough research to encourage further discussion and studies into the topic. At the very least, it should be available to those whose medical conditions can be assisted with the use of marijuana.
