Marijuana, not just for stoners anymore.

Marijuana, some states have legalized it for medicinal purposes, but it remains illegal according to the federal government...for now.

I say for now because I whole-heartedly believe I will see it legalized in my lifetime,  in fact I would say in the next 10 years marijuana will no longer be criminally punishable by law, for possession at least.  Recently, the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov) has listed that there are health benefits to be gains from Cannabis, more specifically from cannabinoids and cannabinoid derivatives. What can cannabis treat?

It can be used to treat pain (analgesic), nausea and vomiting (antiemetic), depression, anxiety, sleep aid (sedative), anti-inflammatory, and increase appetite. The major benefits certainly outweigh the risks, especially when compared to pharmaceutical medications that come with a plethora of side effects, that is not to say there are no possible side effects. Adverse effects of marijuana are: irregular heart rate (tachycardia), low blood pressure (hypotension),bloodshot eyes (conjunctival injection), expanded lung airway (bronchodilation), muscle relaxation, and decreased gastrointestinal motility (possible constipation).

One cannabinoid, Cannabidiol (CBD) has been approved for treatment of cancer-related nausea and vomiting, but otherwise the other main cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is said to cause psychoactive effects, is the reason that cannabis is still on the schedule 1 narcotics list. Schedule 1 narcotics which are classified as high risk for abuse and having no medicinal uses also include LSD, heroin, methaqualone, and mescaline.

So if marijuana has no medicinal purposes (before the Controlled Substances Act and Boggs Act before that cannabis was used medicinally for thousands of years) why are we using it for treatment of cancer patients, anxiety, depression, appetite stimulation in HIV/AIDS patients, etc. If it does have medicinal purposes (which it clearly does), why has it not been moved to a schedule 2 or even 3 narcotic? Why hasn't it been reviewed by the FDA? 

I would bet that Big Pharma has paid money to keep their drugs as the preferred method of treatment even though there are safer and natural alternatives. That isn't to say that cannabis is perfect, but a plant with fewer side effects especially less harmful ones than some of the current drugs on the market has to be at least worth further studying. 

On top of the medical benefits, the tax income from regulation of marijuana would be a huge boost to the economy. If Colorado can be used as an example, they sold almost $1 billion in cannabis sales in 2015 (medicinal and recreational), which yielded an estimated  $135 million in taxes that could be used for education scholarships, school renovations, etc. Let's not forget the number of incarcerated citizens serving for possession who would no longer be taking up space in already over-crowded prisons.