Legalization Of Cannabis

Cannabis is today the most demonized substance, while it has been extensively used for
medicinal purposes throughout history. In the nineteenth century, along with cocaine and
opium, it was easily available and used as a painkiller. In the mid-twentieth century,
cannabis was completely banned, even for research purposes. Today, 21 countries
worldwide have fully or partially legalized the cannabis. These include the Netherlands,
Belgium, Canada, the US, Switzerland and Australia. Even North Korea allows cannabis
smoking among its population. In other countries, however, there is an increasing debate on
whether cannabis use should be legalized.

Prohibiting cannabis hinders researches and prevents a detailed study of its potential. But
even based on the data we have so far, I am convinced that the use of medical cannabis will
enable countries to improve the situation in several areas at once. There is no doubt that
medical cannabis has enormous medical potential because it is a natural product that can
replace a significant portion of chemical drugs. Starting a new industry will require enormous
preparation and regulation, but it will eventually have a positive impact on the economy and
welfare of the country.

The first benefit of medical cannabis legalization is the ability to limit the use of chemical
painkillers. Cannabis can reverse a range of drugs that are used for serious illnesses, and
also it can make cancer treatment much cheaper. It has been proven that medical cannabis
can be applied to a wide range of problems, such as increased anxiety, irritability and
depression. It can also be used to relieve severe pain, loss of appetite and the effects of
stress, treat intestinal inflammation, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy.

Furthermore, the legalization of cannabis opens the possibility to establish state control over
its sales. In addition, legalization will help to level out the black market where no one controls
the quality or origin of cannabis-based drugs. A positive example is the legalization of
cannabis in California and several other southern states in the USA. The decriminalization of
cannabis has hit drug trafficking and drug dealing hard. The number of crimes related to
substance trafficking has decreased by more than 40%. The amount of illegal weed seized
at the border with Mexico  has dropped by 66% after 2011.

On the contrary, opponents of cannabis argue that it is dangerous to health. Their main
argument is the fact that it is a light drug and therefore necessarily guarantees addiction and
further transition to heavier drugs. So far, no deaths from smoking cannabis have been
recorded around the world. This is not surprising as the lethal dose must be 40,000 times the
normal single dose of cannabis. According to National Institute of Drug Abuse only 9% of
cannabis users are likely to experience addiction. Meanwhile, alcohol and tobacco are legal
but are known to cause cancer, heart failure, liver damage and more. According to the
Lancet study ranking the drugs by harmfulness, the most harmful is alcohol, tobacco is on
the sixth place and cannabis is eighth.

To sum up, cannabis decriminalization is a long process, not a one-off event. Naturally, the
legal, economic and social basis for cannabis legalization in a country has to be prepared.
But it cannot be denied that since the early 2000s there have clearly been positive
developments towards legalizing cannabis in the world's leading countries, above all in the
area of legislation regulating production and marketing. There is a clear indication that such
shifts will continue, so it is worthwhile for researchers to resume scientific research on
cannabis and its positive properties.
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2.      Christopher Woody.  (2016). Donald Trump says drugs are coming into the US 'at a
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4.      Debra Borchardt. (2017). $1 Billion in Marijuana Taxes Is Addictive to State Governors.
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https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/marijuana-addictive

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