Marijuana legalization has been the source of heated debate in recent years. At first, legalization efforts focused on the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
On a federal level, cannabis has been prohibited since 1970. The Controlled Substances Act, signed into law by Richard Nixon, classifies cannabis as a Schedule I drug, a category reserved for substances with 1) a high potential for abuse and 2) no currently accepted medical use in treatment.
At the state level, however, a growing social acceptance of marijuana and the greater recognition of its medical purposes has made an impact on cannabis policy over the past two decades. Despite federal prohibition, a majority of U.S. states have made their own laws permitting the legal possession and use of marijuana.
As of July 2019, 11 states and Washington, D.C., had legalized the possession and personal use of marijuana for recreational purposes. There is more public support for marijuana law reform than ever before with new polls showing more than half the country is in favor of legalizing marijuana. People can smoke their bongs free in those States. The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) believes marijuana should be removed from the criminal justice system and regulated like alcohol and tobacco.
Medical Cannabis
As of March 2019, 33 states and Washington, D.C., had passed laws legalizing or decriminalizing medical marijuana. Additionally, 13 states had legalized the use of cannabis oil, or cannabidiol (CBD)—one of the non-psychoactive ingredients found in marijuana—for medical purposes.Sales of U.S. medical marijuana are expected to grow at an 11.8% CAGR, from $5.1 billion in 2017 to an estimated $12.5 billion in 2025.
States with medical marijuana laws have been able to operate without fear of federal interference thanks to the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment. Originally passed in 2014 as part of the spending bill, this appropriations rider prohibits the U.S. Department of Justice from using federal funds to prevent states from implementing their own medical marijuana laws. It also protects patients using medical marijuana in legal states from facing federal prosecution.
Recreational Cannabis
As of July 2019, 11 states and the District of Columbia had legalized marijuana for recreational purposes; nine through statewide citizen initiatives, and two through bills approved by state legislatures and signed by governors. Recreational marijuana use was approved through citizen initiatives in nine states: Washington and Colorado in 2012; Oregon and Alaska in 2014; California, Nevada, Maine, and Massachusetts in 2016; and Michigan in 2018. Recreational marijuana use was also approved in the District of Columbia.
U.S. recreational sales are expected to grow at an incredible 18.4% CAGR, from $3.2 billion to $12.5 billion in 2025.
Prohibition has failed to notably reduce marijuana use. The last decade the support for legalization reached a record high, and there is a collective push to reform cannabis policy nationwide. There are more marijuana reform bills in the 116th Congress than ever before, and the movement toward legalization looks promising.
The last years there was a lot of talk about Cannabidiol (CBD) – a naturally compound found in the resinous flower of cannabis, CBD has significant therapeutic attributes. But unlike THC, CBD does not make a person feel “stoned” or intoxicated. CBD oil is a non-intoxicating nutritional supplement made from hemp that is used to promote wellness. It is legal under U.S. Federal Law. Individual states may enact their own laws around hemp-derived CBD. More consumers, including those with medical marijuana recommendations, are opting for cannabis products dominant in CBD, which provides benefits for users without getting them high.
And then is also HEMP
The industrial hemp, is a strain of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products. It is one of the fastest growing plants and was one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 10,000 years agoHemp is a versatile industrial crop with more than 25,000 product applications. Over 40 states have established commercial or pilot hemp cultivation programs made legal under the Farm Bill.