In a move that’s sure to have made the hippie generation of the ‘60s and ‘70s proud, Canada has legalized recreational pot, and marijuana enthusiasts are in a celebratory mood. Before you grab your passport to run on up to Canada for a toke of your own, though, there are a few things you need to know, CNN Health reports — the first of which is that you can NOT travel in or out of Canada with your weed.
Another interesting tidbit is that, if you live in Canada and you have current marijuana charges against you, the good news is you may soon be pardoned if your conviction was possession of 30 grams or less. Beyond that, those in the know say that initial demand may be so high for the pot that supplies will be limited; however, if you just want to grow it on your own, get busy because Canadians can now have up to four plants in their own home.
The featured article did mention that some Canadians are eager to procure some pot for medical conditions, and that is good news, too — and something that I would suggest U.S. officials consider. The plain facts are marijuana, or cannabis if you want to use the technical term, has been used for its medicinal properties for thousands of years.
The scientific proof that medical marijuana can help alleviate any number of conditions is more than evident. Even former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy admitted that. If you need just one example, one of the strongest areas of research regarding marijuana's health benefits pertains to pain. In 2010, the Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) released a report on 14 clinical studies (most of which were FDA-approved, double-blind and placebo-controlled) on the use of marijuana for pain.
The studies revealed that marijuana not only controls pain but, in some cases, it did so better than available alternatives. Additionally, there is no fatal toxicity associated with cannabis. Other uses for medical marijuana are many, yet, the U.S. government keeps it on its Schedule 1 list, defined as drugs having a "high potential for abuse" and "no accepted medical use."
At the same time, unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the drug industry is now trying to turn CBD oil into a drug, and hence illegal for sale as a supplement. The only question you can ask, then, is if medical marijuana truly has no use or benefit, why would the drug industry want to get the first foot in the door, and then shut the door on everyone else?
You know the answer to that, and it’s more than obvious that unless individual states get together and press for a change, it’s going to be a long while before U.S. citizenry can have access to the same rights and privileges that Canadians now have.