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According to various news sources, legal marijuana sales are expected to hit over $20 billion in 2020. Various groups and individuals are calling for the feds to change their stance on the continued illegalization of marijuana at the federal level.
Discussions about marijuana and other related drugs have been going on for decades, even as it becomes more popular and how its sales have continuously led to the arrest of young people most especially young black Americans. In this blog article, we shall look at 10 Interesting Things You Need To Know About Marijuana to educate you more so you can form your own opinion on this matter.
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Do You
Know The Differences Between Cannabis, Hemp, and Marijuana?
Most
people do not know the difference between Hemp and Marijuana; they often clump
Cannabis sativa products together. We must understand the difference between
these products to have any discussions about marijuana. There are three species
of cannabis. They are Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis. Hemp and marijuana are
simply two different varieties of cannabis that look exactly alike and the
difference between the two is based on their chemical composition.
The
two varieties produce high levels of CBD, but the hemp variety contains less
than 0.3% THC (the most psychoactive chemical in cannabis) while marijuana
contains more than 0.3% THC. Because of this difference, hemp-derived products
are now legal, while marijuana still has an illegal status based on federal
laws.
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Ø Statistics of Marijuana Usage In America
Even
though some Americans will not admit to marijuana use, the numbers don’t lie. The
numbers show that marijuana is the most popular and used illicit drug in the
states, whether it is used for medical or recreational purposes. This means
that most people secretly use it in their homes or elsewhere. A 2018 survey put
out by Statista
showing the use of the drug by age, reveals that 24% of Americans between the
ages of 18-29, 13% of people aged 30-49, 11% of the population 50-54, while 6%
of Americans 65 and above use the drug. Another survey by Marist University in
2017 state that there are at least 55 million Americans that use marijuana
regularly.
Financial
reports show that the industry grew from a 6.8 billion dollar to 12.4 billion
dollars in 2019 and is forecasted to grow to around 23 billion dollars by 2025.
These statistics are a clear indication that the issue is both popular and
valuable.
Ø Federal and State Marijuana Laws and Regulation
As
a result of bad press that marijuana received in the 1930s in what is now known
as the “Reefer Madness” propaganda, federal laws were passed to illegalize use
or possession of the drug in 1970. Ever since then, the drug has maintained its
illegal status federally. However, some US states can legalize and regulate the
use of marijuana and its related products because of the Rohrabacher-Farr
amendment. This measure allows individuals to use the drug medically in states
where it is designated legal for medical use. Eleven states have legalized both
recreational and medicinal use of marijuana. They include California, Alaska,
Illinois, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Massachusetts, Maine, and
Michigan, while other states like; Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, Minnesota,
Missouri, and 10 other states that have deemed it legal for medical use. It is
still prohibited in some states.
Polls
show that more than half of the Americans are in support of the federal legalization
of marijuana, as it is a popular view that this will go a long way to further
federal criminal and justice reforms and because it is financially valuable. In
response to this, in Nov. 2019, the House judiciary committee passed a bill that will legalize it federally and will go through in the house of
assembly but may face challenges in the senate, so you might want to hold on
the celebratory brownies for the meantime.
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Ø Recreational Vs. Medical Marijuana Use
It
doesn’t take a genius to distinguish the difference between recreational and medical
marijuana. Beyond this, other
differences determine which types can be used for medical or recreational
purposes. If you live in a state where marijuana use is approved, you need to
know the difference to avoid getting on the bad side of the law. Marijuana used
for medical purposes usually contains less THC compared to the recreational
type, which is why the former is most popular because of the euphoric feeling
that it gives the user.
Also,
medical marijuana contains more CBD levels than recreational marijuana, which
gives it a higher nutritional value. More people are using recreational
marijuana than those using them for medicinal purposes. Several people are
getting prescriptions for and using medical marijuana, especially as the use of
the drug for medical purposes is legal in some states.
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Ø Medicinal Value of Marijuana
Marijuana
is one of the oldest cultivated crops. It has been used for thousands of years
in various places all over the world for its medicinal value. Marijuana is
proven to help manage, alleviate, or even treat some medical conditions with
little or no side effects unlike the drugs used to treat or manage these
diseases.
Medical
marijuana reportedly helps to relieve pains experienced by AIDS and diabetes
patients. It is used to manage multiple sclerosis and treat muscle spasms. It
is also used to manage Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer, treat children with
epilepsy and schizophrenia, and treat glaucoma, eating disorders, nausea, and
other diseases.
Ø The Dangers of Marijuana Laced With Toxins
Did
you know that there are marijuana products available in the market that are
laced with other chemicals or substances to improve psychoactive effects or
increase their quantity? This makes these products more addictive or even
dangerous to a consumer's health. Some of the substances that are mixed with
marijuana include PCP, heroin, methamphetamine, ketamine, laundry detergent,
embalming fluid, and cocaine.
Some
users lace marijuana with drugs like fentanyl because of its potency, which
could be deadly or cause some medical conditions. Some medical conditions
include depression, bad dental health, insomnia, and muscular pains. The
combination of marijuana and fentanyl in very large quantities can cause loss
of consciousness, respiratory problems, high blood pressure, and even death.
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What
IS Vaping?
Vaping
is an activity that is becoming increasingly popular in America as well as all
over the world. It involves inhaling vapor that is produced from an
e-cigarette, which is a power-battery device that holds a cartridge containing
a liquid made of chemicals, flavorings, and nicotine. The device works by
heating the liquid, which converts it to vapor which is then inhaled.
Ø Vape-Related Dangers
Vaping
is also used to consume marijuana. Some medical consequences come with vaping
especially because it is addictive and because of the nicotine content. Experts
advise that vaping can lead to changes in mood, and low attention deficit could
even cause long-term damage to the brain, and negatively affect the lungs. Therefore,
there are pushbacks against vaping, which has invited the feds to investigate
the matter and possibly impose sanctions.
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Ø The Disproportionate Incarceration of Blacks for
Marijuana Sales and Possession
It is popularly believed that the war against marijuana is considered a war against colored people, especially blacks. The implementation of the federal ban on marijuana by law enforcement agents over the years has led to the incarceration of hundreds of thousands of young African Americans.
Some
studies show that blacks are four times more likely to be arrested for
possession of the drug. This trend is very worrying as it has far-reaching
consequences in black communities.
Another
worrisome aspect of the issue is the fact that even though there are also white
drug dealers of marijuana, there are more arrests of black drug dealers for
sales of marijuana all over the country by law enforcement personnel, even in
states where the practice is legal. This is because there is a problem of
over-policing in black neighborhoods and because of racial profiling by law
enforcement, which makes it more likely for blacks to be involved in stops and
searches than whites.
The
fight against marijuana sales and usage shows racial bias and this is why a lot of
people are calling for the legalization of the drug to help curb the problem.
Criminal justice reform initiatives have been implemented in the U.S. to help
reduce mass incarceration for non-violent offenders, drug dealers, and others.
Ø How Reforms Can Help
Criminal justice reforms will go a long way in the right direction with the
review of the federal government’s stance on marijuana use and possession. This
is one reason why most people are happy about the developments in Congress that
could potentially change this.
Popular
consensus condones marijuana use and its commercialization and regulation
instead of its illegalization. This move may reduce the number of young and
incarcerated African Americans and should significantly reduce the number of African
Americans that are arrested, and in turn, improve their chances to live a
better life overall.
Conclusion
The topic of marijuana
and legalization is currently on the table for discussions and political
decisions. There may be many implications should marijuana become legal at the
federal level.
Whatever your stance is
on the matter, it is worth listening to both sides of these arguments that have
continued to rage on. Whatever happens, we should all clamor for a better
justice system and equality for everyone in our great country.
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Read more on marijuana, vaping,
and hemp by clicking on the titles of the books below:
The Little Black Book of Marijuana: The
Essential Guide to the World of Cannabis (3rd Edition) (Little Black Books
(Peter Pauper Hardcover)) Hardcover by Steve Elliott
The Cannabis Encyclopedia: The Definitive
Guide to Cultivation & Consumption of Medical Marijuana by Jorge Cervantes
In the Weeds: Demonization, Legalization,
and the Evolution of U.S. Marijuana Policy Paperback by Clayton J. Mosher
Beyond Buds: Marijuana Extracts?Hash,
Vaping, Dabbing, Edibles and Medicines Paperback by Ed Rosenthal