Unless you have been living under a rock for the past five years, you know that marijuana is making its way into more and more peoples’ lives. Many things have been debated, like the efficacy of medical marijuana and what legalizing it will do to not only our economy but also our general outlook on other banned substances.
The Effects of Medical Marijuana
Most drugs that are prescribed by doctors are actually tested by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA puts drugs that are in the research stage of production under many tests so by the time they are put on the shelves or in pharmacies they are safe for use. Marijuana seems to have skipped this step. Many studies have been done, but the problem is that many results were also found and not all of them proved to be beneficial or significant.
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There have been adverse effects of marijuana on adolescents. Showing that young adults can become addicted easier and just like nicotine or alcohol the use of marijuana can lead to other drugs. Not many long-term studies have been done on the use of marijuana, but one of the few supports the claim that smoking marijuana during the early teenage years can actually lower your IQ in the future even after you have stopped using marijuana.
On the other hand, there are countless personal anecdotes that claim smoking marijuana: increases appetite, benefits overall sleep, increases appetite, and reduces pain. Some people even claim that it helps with some of the symptoms of AIDS and cancer. It almost sounds like it is too good to be true, but some research has proven some of these claims.
The Future of Medical Marijuana
The actual benefits of marijuana come from a chemical in the drug called 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This chemical can be extracted from marijuana and put into pills and nasal sprays as another form of intake other than smoking. What are the benefits of putting THC in pills? Well some people believe that it will make the medical marijuana movement more acceptable and veer away from the path that people are just using it to get high.
The future of marijuana in general may be advancing faster than you might think. Some people seem to think that marijuana product placement will be seen on the television and big screen in the next year. As more states begin to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, we will begin to see brands and even cigarette companies begin to join a market that could prove to be bigger than the tobacco industry. There are currently no laws preventing the product placement of marijuana, but we could see that change in the near future.
How Do You Get The Marijuana?
This is another controversial topic. So controversial that Massachusetts, a state that passed a medical marijuana law in 2012, has only twenty provisionally approved dispensary locations. The dispensary is basically a pharmacy for cannabis. You enter the dispensary, show them your recommendation, enter into the sale section and browse the collection until you find one suitable to your liking.
The Future of Dispensaries
Over twenty states and the District of Colombia have legalized marijuana in some way. But in states like Colorado and Washington where the recreational use of marijuana has been legalized the dispensaries have taken a new marketing strategy.
The dispensaries that use to be all about aiding the sick and needy are now trying to bring in a more wide spread audience. Displaying signs like “No Med Card Needed” and implementing clever slogans for their dispensaries, more and more consumers are being brought in.
With every state making up their own rules and passing their own laws on the subject of medical or recreational marijuana, things are bound to get hectic. With the use, sale and possession of cannabis still being illegal federally, most people and dispensaries are walking a fine line with this subject. However, the more you tell people they cannot have something, the more they will want it. This will continue to be a topic of increased controversy and wide spread media attention until a unanimous decision has been made about the legalization and overall effects of marijuana.