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The Different Types of Legal Cannabis
There are many different types of legal cannabis. The most popular type is marijuana, which is made from the leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant. Other types include hashish, which is made from the resin of the plant, and hemp, which is made from the stem and seeds of the plant. All three of these types of legal cannabis can be used for medical or recreational purposes.
Medical Cannabis
Medical cannabis is cannabis that is used to treat or alleviate symptoms of certain medical conditions or side effects of their treatments. It is typically recommended by a healthcare professional, such as a doctor or pharmacist, and approved by a state or territory government.
Medical cannabis products can come in many forms, including dried flowers, oils, tinctures, capsules, edibles, and topical creams. They can be consumed in different ways, such as being inhaled (smoked or vaporized), absorbed under the tongue (taken as a sublingual tincture), or eaten (taken as an edible).
The active ingredients in medical cannabis are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD is thought to have anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and anti-seizure properties. THC is the main psychoactive component of cannabis and is responsible for the “high” feeling associated with its use.
Medical cannabis is not regulated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so there is no guarantee of its safety or efficacy. That said, some states have their own programs for regulating medical cannabis products. These programs typically require that products be tested for quality and purity before they can be sold to patients.
Recreational Cannabis
Recreational cannabis is legal in some states and illegal in others. It can be used for medical purposes or for purely recreational purposes. Recreational cannabis is typically sold in dispensaries, which are subject to state and local laws. The type of recreational cannabis that is available depends on the state in which it is legal.
The Benefits of Legal Cannabis
Economic Benefits
Cannabis has often been seen as an industry that is not particularly friendly to small businesses, but that is slowly starting to change. In recent years, more and more small businesses are getting involved in the cannabis industry, and they are reaping the benefits.
One of the biggest benefits of being a small business in the cannabis industry is the potential for growth. The legal cannabis industry is still in its early stages, which means that there is a lot of room for small businesses to grow and thrive. In addition, as more states legalize cannabis, the market will only become more expansive, giving small businesses even more opportunities to succeed.
Another benefit of being a small business in the cannabis industry is that you can be at the forefront of innovation. This is an industry that is constantly evolving, and new technologies and products are being developed all the time. As a small business, you will have the opportunity to be one of the first to take advantage of these new developments and bring them to market. This can give you a significant competitive advantage over larger businesses that may be slower to adapt to change.
Social Benefits
From a societal standpoint, there are many benefits of legalized cannabis. For one, it would help to alleviate the overcrowding of our prisons and jails. According to The Huffington Post, “There are currently more than 2.3 million people behind bars in the United States ― more than any other country in the world.” Of those 2.3 million, approximately 500,000 of them are in for nonviolent drug charges. This is an absurdly high number, and it costs taxpayers a lot of money to keep these people incarcerated ― an estimated $80 billion per year.
If cannabis were to be legalized nationwide, it would take a huge chunk out of America’s prison population, and subsequently save taxpayers billions of dollars annually. In addition, once people are released from prison, they often have a hard time finding gainful employment because of their criminal records. If cannabis were legal, this would no longer be an issue for non-violent offenders.
Cannabis legalization would also generate a massive amount of tax revenue for state and local governments. Colorado collected over $200 million in tax revenue from legal cannabis sales in 2017 alone ― money that was used to fund public schools, infrastructure projects and substance abuse prevention programs. If more states were to follow suit, it would go a long way in repairing America’s crumbling infrastructure and underfunded public school systems.
And last but not least, legalization would put an end to the violent black market that has been created by prohibition. In states where cannabis is still illegal, there is no regulation or quality control ― meaning that anything goes. This often leads to dangerous products making their way into the hands of consumers ― something that would not happen if the drug were legal and regulated like alcohol or tobacco.
Health Benefits
Cannabis has been shown to be effective in treating a wide variety of medical conditions. These include pain, muscle spasms, anxiety, and nausea.
Cannabis is also being studied for its potential ability to treat other medical conditions, such as epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, and cancer.
The legal status of cannabis varies from country to country. In some countries, such as the United States, cannabis is illegal for any purpose. In others, such as Canada, it is legal for certain medical purposes.
The legal status of cannabis also varies from state to state in the United States. In some states, such as California, cannabis is legal for certain medical purposes. In others, it is not.
The Drawbacks of Legal Cannabis
While there are many benefits to the legalization of cannabis, there are also some drawbacks. One of the biggest drawbacks is the fact that legal cannabis will likely be more expensive than illegal cannabis. This is because growers will have to comply with regulations, which will increase their costs. Another drawback is that some people believe that legal cannabis will lead to more people using harder drugs.
Economic Drawbacks
The economic drawbacks of legal cannabis are many and varied. The most obvious is the potential for widespread job loss, as the industry replaces human workers with machines. This is already happening in the legal cannabis industry in Colorado, where growers are using machines to trim cannabis plants. The second economic drawback is the potential for price manipulation by big businesses. If large corporations dominate the industry, they will be able to set prices as they see fit, which could cause problems for small businesses and consumers alike. Additionally, large companies may be able to muscle their way into better positions in the supply chain, leaving smaller businesses at a disadvantage.
Social Drawbacks
The comprehensive legal regulation of the cannabis plant will have a number of far-reaching social effects. opponents of legalization worry that large scale cannabis production will lead to increased social problems, such as an uptick in violence and organized crime. There is also concern that the easy availability of cannabis will lead to increased rates of consumptions among adolescents, which could potentially have negative impacts on brain development. Some have argued that cannabis prohibition has disproportionately impacted minority communities, and that lifting these restrictions will help to ameliorate some of these issues.
Health Drawbacks
Cannabis use can have a wide variety of short- and long-term effects. Short-term effects of cannabis include problems with memory, learning, attention, judgement, coordination, and perception. These effects can last for hours or days, and differ depending on the strength of the cannabis used, how much someone uses, their level of experience, and whether they take it with alcohol or other drugs. Long-term effects of smoking cannabis are similar to the effects of smoking tobacco. These effects can include risks to lung health, such as:
Coughing
Wheezing
Producing mucus
Increased susceptibility to respiratory infections
Chronic (long-term) bronchitis
Cannabis smoke contains many of the same toxins, irritants and carcinogens as tobacco smoke. One major difference between the two is that tobacco smokers usually inhale deeply and hold their breath for several seconds when smoking, which increases the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Cannabis smokers typically do not hold their breath when inhaling. However, they generally inhale more deeply and more often than tobacco smokers which increases their lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke.
The Future of Legal Cannabis
The legal cannabis industry is still in its infancy, but it is growing fast. With more and more countries and states decriminalising or legalising cannabis, it is time to start thinking about what the future of legal cannabis will look like. In this article, we will explore some of the possibilities for the future of legal cannabis.
Federal Legalization
With the increasing acceptance of cannabis around the world, many are wondering what the future of legal cannabis will look like. Will it be federally legalized in the United States? Will other countries follow suit?
There is no easy answer to thesequestions, as the future of cannabis is still very much up in the air. However, there are a few possible scenarios that could play out in the coming years.
One possibility is that federal legalization could occur in the United States. This would likely happen through either Congress passing a law to federally legalize cannabis, or the Supreme Court ruling that cannabis prohibition is unconstitutional. If federal legalization were to occur, it would have a major impact on both the cannabis industry and society as a whole.
Another possibility is that cannabis could remain illegal at the federal level but be decriminalized or legalized in some states. This has already begun to happen, with several states legalizing cannabis for recreational or medical use. If this trend continues, it’s possible that eventually most states will have some form of legal cannabis, even if it remains illegal at the federal level.
Finally, it’s also possible that nothing major will change in the near future and cannabis will continue to be mostly illegal around the world. This isn’t necessarily likely, but it is a possibility. After all, predicting the future is always difficult!
No matter what happens, it’s clear that the future of legal cannabis is sure to be fascinating. It will be interesting to see how this issue progresses over time and how it affects both those within and outside of the cannabis industry
State Legalization
The future of legal cannabis is looking bright, with more and more states passing legalization measures every year. So far, 11 states have legalized recreational cannabis, and 33 states have legalized medical cannabis. But what will legal cannabis actually look like in these states? Will it be a free-for-all, or will there be regulations in place to control the industry?
Here’s a look at what some of the experts are saying about the future of legal cannabis:
“I think we’re going to see a lot more consolidation in the industry. Big businesses are going to buy up smaller businesses, and we’re going to see a lot more standardization in terms of product quality and safety.” – Alan Brochstein, founder of 420 Investor
“I think we’re going to see a lot more scientific research into the medical applications of cannabis. And I think we’re also going to see a lot more investment in infrastructure, like dispensaries and grow operations.” – Steve DeAngelo, founder of Harborside Health Center
“I think we’re going to see a lot more innovation in terms of product development, as companies try to come up with new and interesting ways to consume cannabis.” – Megan Geuss, staff writer for Ars Technica
Local Legalization
In November 2012, Colorado and Washington became the first states to pass ballot initiatives that would allow the sale and recreational use of cannabis. In January 2014, Alaska followed suit. While these states have worked to establish a legal framework for the sale and use of cannabis within their borders, the federal government has maintained its prohibition on the substance.
This tension between state and federal law has created a unique challenge for businesses seeking to enter the legal cannabis market. Banks, for example, are largely regulated by federal law, which means that they are reluctant to do business with cannabis companies for fear of being prosecuted for money laundering or other offenses. As a result, many cannabis businesses are forced to operate on a cash-only basis, which makes them prime targets for theft and robbery.
Similarly, businesses that sell products containing cannabis — such as edibles or concentrates — face difficulties in shipping their products across state lines, since transport of cannabis is still illegal under federal law. Even within states where cannabis is legal, there can be significant obstacles to setting up and operating a business due to strict regulation by local governments.
Despite these challenges, the legal cannabis industry is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Some estimates suggest that it could become a $100 billion industry within the next decade. As more states move to legalize cannabis — either for recreational or medical purposes — businesses will have more opportunities to enter the market.
