Decriminalizing marijuana has been a boon to Colorado’s economy. Cannabis earned the state nearly $70 million in taxes in 2015, nearly double the $42 million collected from alcohol taxes. Legalization has also created thousands of jobs for residents. Now some of that tax money is going to a great cause: education.
New Jersey has one of the most restrictive medical marijuana programs in the nation, leaving no access to many who could be benefiting from the medicine. But now something is being done to change that – especially for women. Drawing inspiration from Whoopi Goldberg and California businesswoman Maya Elisabeth, Assemblyman Tim Eustace said he will be introducing legislation that would add women’s conditions to the approved list of ailments for medical marijuana.
In mid-March the Pennsylvania state House voted to legalize medical marijuana. If the Senate passes the bill and Gov. Tom Wolf signs it into law as he is expected to, it would make Pennsylvania the first state in the U.S. to allow medical marijuana as a treatment option for people with autism.
Quietly, with little fanfare or vocal opposition, the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program known as D.A.R.E. removed marijuana from its list of “gateway drugs” on its website. But that doesn’t necessarily mean D.A.R.E. no longer sees marijuana as a gateway drug, as some are reporting.
It’s a great time in Pennsylvania! The state House voted 149-43 to legalize medical marijuana, but it gets even better. If the bill is signed into law, cannabis would be a legal treatment option for autism, making Pennsylvania the first state to specifically include the condition.
Marijuana may help heal a lot – epilepsy, cancer, migraines, depression, and the list just keeps growing. But it’s not perfect. Using marijuana can mar your judgement, or so suggests the results of a recent study which found people who visit Colorado to partake in a little ganja wind up in emergency rooms more often than Coloradans.
Given the mounting evidence concerning marijuana’s healing potential and the fact that legalization in states has not spurred true conflict and only served to produce tax revenue, I think it’s about time for Congress to proactively reschedule marijuana. But will they listen?
Depression currently affects almost 15 million people in the US every year. Similar numbers can be found in Europe. Depression and anxiety disorders cost us approximately $42 billion annually, comprising a whopping third of the mental health bill of the country. Is it possible that simple cannabinoids in medical marijuana can help treat this debilitating and costly mental health condition? [1]
The third-time possession of marijuana in Louisiana results in a criminal felony, but the city of New Orleans hopes to become a positive influence on the overly-strict rules governing pot use in the state.
The marijuana plant seems to have gained such popularity in New Zealand that the country is facing a pot shortage, but it isn’t just because stoners like to get high. Earlier this month, police seized 9000 plants in an annual aerial operation, which affected both outdoor and indoor growing of the highly-desired flowering herb.
