You may have heard about the contention for the legalization of pot, but how much do you really know about it? Here are three things you may not know about the medical marijuana industry:
1. It is Sponsored By the Government
For all the trouble there is about whether or not marijuana should be legalized and who should be able to use it, it is actually completely legally produced by the government. Granted, in this instance, the marijuana isn’t intended for recreational or even necessarily medical use. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has sponsored the University of Mississippi in Oxford to grow marijuana under a federal contract for researchers. Doctors medical marijuana still has to wait on this point because…
2. It is in Contention in the Government
While the federal government may grow marijuana itself, it isn’t exactly in favor of it. For example, fourteen states and the District of Columbia have already legalized medical marijuana. Washington, Vermont, Rhode Island, Oregon, New Mexico, New Jersey, Nevada, Montana, Michigan, Maine, Hawaii, Colorado, California, and Alaska have all given the go ahead for doctors to explore this treatment. While the states have done this, the federal government still prosecutes patients for using, growing, or possessing doctors medical marijuana for legitimate purposes. Family practice doctors who prescribe medical marijuana are fine in these states, but they cannot supply it themselves.
3. Legalization Doesn’t Have the Effects You’d Think it Would
With all the hubbub, you’d imagine there would be some negative consequence to legalizing marijuana, but even if there was, it certainly isn’t all bad. For example, youth drug use has always been a problematic issue in America, but rates of youth marijuana use actually decrease when the drug is legalized. What do you think about medical marijuana? See this link for more references.
