Why Cannabis Is a Medication Worth Legalizing
Medical marijuana has been legalized by many countries around the world, including 28 states in the US. Some have even legalized the recreational use of the drug.
Practicing in the area of drug offenses, Toronto Defense Lawyers have been successfully defending countless marijuana related drug offenses over the years under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Meanwhile, the clinical studies discussed below have taken a deeper look as to why cannabis is a medication worth legalizing.
According to clinical studies, the chemical compounds found in cannabis (CBD and THC) can successfully treat chronic pain and many other health ailments. This was evidenced in the largest ever study on cannabis which examined over 10,000 studies on the drug. The results found that, not only is cannabis an effective defense to chronic pain, but also a wide range of other health problems such as: muscles spasms in those suffering from multiple sclerosis, nausea in those undergoing chemotherapy, inflammation, arthritis, fibromyalgia, anxiety, stress, and PTSD.
Additionally, medical marijuana has been proven to lower opioid prescriptions and opioid-related deaths. Coinciding with this evidence, states that have legalized medical marijuana suffer from fewer opioid-related deaths. Also, profits to organized crime groups would be cut off by legalizing cannabis.
It is also important not to ignore the current lack of regulation involving medical marijuana. The legal gray area has caused many suppliers to not feel pressured in meeting Health Canada standards. This is true for approximately 1/3 of dispensaries in Toronto. This lack of regulation has led to cannabis containing yeast, mold, and bacteria commonly found in sewage and intestinal tracts of humans. Regrettably, a study of a popular dispensary in Toronto found that the marijuana being dispensed contained 9 times the acceptable amount of yeast and mold, as well as large traces of bacteria found in sewage.
While the history of cannabis worldwide has been long and complicated, the benefits of its legalization cannot be ignored. In April 2017, the liberal government passed a bill to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, which is expected to come into effect in July of 2018, however it remains to be seen whether we will begin to perceive cannabis as an effective form of treatment against a large number of health ailments and a defense against opioid deaths.
The graphic below, courtesy of TorontoDefenceLawyers.com, summarizes these arguments:
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