While some states have legalized recreational marijuana, the latest election had eight states with medical or recreational cannabis on the docket, most of those measures passing. One state, AR, didn’t have sufficient signatures so the measure shouldn’t have been on the ballot and three of the remaining seven approved medical marijuana initiatives. The latest additions to the growing list of states where medical marijuana is now legal include Florida, Arkansas and North Dakota.
Why Big Pharma Is Fighting Medical Marijuana
It only takes looking at all the various illnesses and conditions that medical marijuana is found to effectively treat and you can see why big pharma is totally against legalization in any form, medicinal or recreational. Here is a little of what marijuana is capable of offering as an alternative to pharmaceuticals:
- Pain management
- Nausea
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Psychosis
- Seizures
- Glaucoma
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Those are conditions that have been studied under controlled laboratory environments with promising results. The use of the appropriate cbd oil dosage is also proven to be beneficial. Although Harvard Medical School believes much more research is needed, they do admit that medical marijuana is effective in treating pain, nausea and for the stimulation of appetite so necessary in AIDS patients.
Controversy over High Prices When Taxed
One of the main concerns for those who use cannabis for medical reasons is the high taxes that will be imposed on states that allow recreational use. To them, medical marijuana is just that, a medication, and they feel that to have the same taxes imposed on them as for those using it for recreational purposes is unfair. However, there is an alternative, and that is having the legal right to grow their own medicine. It only takes planting feminized seeds and then pot can be grown indoors under lights or outdoor in sunlight with restrictions. Some local governments prohibit growing indoor or outdoor, others allow it under certain very regulated conditions, and others simply don’t have rulings but defer to state guidelines.
What This Means Nationally
With 29 states and the District of Columbia having legalized pot in some form, medicinal or recreational, and others decriminalizing it, there is much conjecture that soon the national prohibition will finally be over. Even so, President Obama said that with so many states voting in favor of ending prohibition, it is unclear how the upcoming transition of power to President Elect Trump with a Republican Congress will impact marijuana laws.
As time goes on, the nation is becoming more and more tolerant and even those who don’t use medical or recreational cannabis concede that it has its benefits. Many market analysts feel that major changes will occur in the coming decade with California, as usual, at the forefront. As the most populous state, it is projected that California will indeed have an impact on national policies, but that still remains to be seen. In the meantime, for proponents of medical Mary Jane, this year’s election marked a major milestone.
