Medical Marijuana Legalization Voting Update
Marijuana abuse has reached epidemic levels in the United States, and the problem may be getting worse. In fact, discussion and controversy regarding marijuana use have become pervasive throughout American society. Congressmen and women continuously legislate on medical marijuana issues, activists fight for and against its legalization by petitioning their various governments, and social sites are rife with users’ opinions on the matter.
Also, government efforts to stop the trafficking and possession of marijuana and other drugs lead to people’s frequent arrests from every walk of life. Hundreds of thousands of non-violent drug offenders fill jails across the country, most of them serving time for marijuana-related charges. A complete understanding of this problem is crucial for creating marijuana legislation that truly serves United States citizens’ needs.
Despite significant law enforcement efforts in the United States, marijuana is the most popular illegal drug in the world. Its use also carries a much higher level of societal acceptance than cocaine, heroin, and other narcotics. In California, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, and Montana, large-scale efforts at legalization over the past decade are a testament to this acceptance. Popular media also reflect this tolerant attitude, as marijuana use is often taken lightly and joked about in movies, music, and stand-up comedy in a way that narcotics use is not.
A survey reported that United States teens now use marijuana even more than they use tobacco. Most researchers cite the now-widespread availability of the drug, as well as changing attitudes surrounding its use, as a reason for this phenomenon.
Additionally, many adolescents believe marijuana is far less harmful to their health than cigarettes or chewing tobacco, especially concerning habit-forming and physical dependency issues. Overall, this study brings new and interesting concerns to light.
Since today’s teens will be the heads of government and industry within a few decades, common attitudes and public policy regarding marijuana use may drastically change.
Aside from its prevalence amongst teenagers, marijuana use is gaining popularity with senior citizens. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that marijuana use tripled among people aged fifty-five through fifty-nine. Many speculate that this trend is a result of these seniors’ upbringings. Also, some seniors use marijuana to treat glaucoma, joint pain, and other ailments that commonly afflict the elderly.
It can be difficult to assess the risks of marijuana use among California, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, and Montana citizens because research on the topic is so scarce. Even the few studies that have been done are too controversial to use because of their various funding parties’ alleged biases.
Despite these difficulties in research, recent studies suggest that consistent, heavy use of marijuana can make existing mental and emotional disorders even worse. In fact, people with these types of conditions may even develop a physical dependency on the drug, although most proponents of its legalization assert that it is non-habit-forming.
Whether or not marijuana is harmful, the criminal consequences for its possession can be life-changing, often devastating a convict’s job options, social connections, and education. If you are concerned about the consequences of using marijuana, for your sake or a loved one, click the links below for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Residents of California, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, and Montana are among the few in the country to be exempt from the state’s controlled substance laws if they have certain medical conditions. Until the Proposition goes into effect, the utilization of marijuana is illegal in the federal government’s eyes. Like any new law, there is a multi-step implementation process to the Proposition.
After the first draft of the rules regarding marijuana at California, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, and Montana is released, they will be on display for the public to comment on them. Once the first draft commenting deadline has passed, the comments will be reviewed, and the rules will be revised.
The revised rules will then be made public. Additionally, there will be more public hearings in a formal setting, after which the final set of rules for the release of medical marijuana will be submitted to the Secretary of State and made public on the website for the Office of Administrative Rules. The rules regarding medical marijuana in California, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, and Montana and medical marijuana dispensaries are in effect.
There are some key points made about the effects of the Proposition. Keep in mind that physicians may only prescribe medical marijuana in California, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, and Montana for patients who have certain medical conditions. These physicians may also be certain licensed osteopaths, naturopaths, or homeopaths. Only they can prescribe or recommend the use of medical marijuana for patients who have a debilitating medical condition, which may include cancer, glaucoma, being HIV positive, AIDS, Crohn’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, hepatitis C, among many other diseases and treatment of those conditions.
In Addition To Who Can Partake Of Marijuana, The Rules Governing The Propositions Also Direct The Establishment Of Dispensaries Of Marijuana. Here Is A Some Of The Rules For These Facilities:
– They can only be nonprofit. Medical marijuana dispensaries must establish bylaws that preserve their charitable nature.
– Operating documents governing medical marijuana dispensaries must provide for supervision and accurate record-keeping of the facility.
– Cultivation of medical marijuana can only take place at a secure facility that has a physical address that is registered with the Department of Health Services.
These are just a few of the draft regulations that are established for medical marijuana dispensaries, along with the obvious one of the prohibition of the facilities using, cultivating, delivering, or anything else with the medical marijuana for purposes other than what it was intended.
In preparation for the ability of nonprofits to help ease the suffering of patients who have medical conditions covered under the Proposition, a group of people formed clinics. Their goal is to provide alternatives that are less dangerous and addictive than the medications that are currently prescribed.
Additionally, clinics want to promote the idea of freedom. Since they operate in a country that was based on the freedom of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, clinics promote the idea that persons have all right to make decisions that are different from other people around them.