In the past few years or so, the topic of the legalization of marijuana has been floating around in the media throughout the United States. With all the talk going around, the state of Louisiana was faced with the question of legalization of the drug, in particular medical cannabis.
According to nola.com, as of late June 2015, governor Bobby Jindal signed legislation on two bills, “authorizing a legal medical marijuana growth, prescription and dispensary system in Louisiana.” The signing of one of these bills by Jindal will make Louisiana the first southern state to make medical marijuana available to chronically ill patients. This is great for those suffering with disabling and painful illnesses because of the benefits obtained from the use of the plant.
According to drugabuse.gov, there are two main parts of the plant that are of interest for medicinal purposes. Tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, increases appetite, reduces nausea and decreases pain, inflammation and muscle control problems. Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, “may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures and possibly even treating mental illness and addictions.” Cannabis has also shown to be beneficial in the treatment of cancer where “extracts may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others” and “can slow the growth of cancer cells from one of the most serious types of brain tumors.” Scientists are also looking into using the drug as treatment for multiple illnesses and conditions such as autoimmune diseases, inflammation, pain, seizures, substance use disorders and mental disorders.
If it has been proven to be helpful against multiple diseases and conditions, who are we to stand in the way of someone else’s relief? My own, closest best friend suffers from epileptic seizures, which means that at any moment, she could have a seizure. The thought of that scares me to my core because she could be driving, get into an accident or fall down a flight of stairs and get badly injured. Knowing that there is another drug out there that could prevent her from experiencing the physical and emotional pain of seizures is extremely relieving and makes me feel very emotional.
With the benefits of medical marijuana known and Louisiana being the first state in the South to make medical marijuana legal and available to patients, I have a feeling that this will light a spark in the South and other states will begin to consider the legalization and availability of medical marijuana.
Another signing on one of the bills made by Jindal would “reform criminal penalties for marijuana, making it a misdemeanor rather than a felony for a second offense of marijuana possession.” It would also give first-time offenders the opportunity to “erase their first conviction for possessing marijuana if they don’t re-offend within two years.”
This may lead to Louisiana and other states looking into the legalization of marijuana for recreational use, as some states have already done so, such as Colorado and Washington.
According to leafly.com, looking at how the legalization of recreational marijuana has affected Colorado through a decrease in the rate of crime and arrests, an increase in tax revenue and a significant increase in the number of jobs in the job market, it seems that the economical benefits, beside the medicinal benefits, outweigh the possible risks of the use of marijuana.
What seems to be the main issue with many of those who are against the legalization is that they do not seem to realize that just like any drug, it will affect people differently. Just because a drug has multiple side effects does not mean that they will affect you in all, if any, of those ways.