Frequently Asked Questions - Marijuana. Marijuana Facts | Marijuana Policy and Effects. Many opponents of medical marijuana make much of the purported link between marijuana use and mental illness. But there is simply no compelling evidence to support the claim that marijuana is a causal risk factor for developing a psychiatric disorder in otherwise healthy individuals. Most tellingly, population-level rates of schizophrenia or other psychiatric illnesses have remained flat even when marijuana use rates have increased. Emerging evidence indicates that patients who have tried marijuana may show significant improvements in symptoms and clinical outcomes (such as lower mortality rates and better cognitive functioning ) compared with those who have not.
In fact, some of the unique chemicals in marijuana, such as cannabidiol (CBD), seem to have anti-psychotic properties. Rates of mental illness have remained stable in light of changes in marijuana consumption levels. Some psychoactive substances have been shown to improve mental health functioning and some do not. EBSCOhost Discovery Service: State Taxation of Marijuana Distribution and Other Federal Crimes. Medicinal Marijuana - Marijuana as Medicine - Marijuana Legalization Organization topic page. Many people believe that marijuana can be used as medicine to treat certain illnesses.
Canada and several states in the U.S. have passed laws in recent years to specifically allow sick people to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. The only major federal report on the the subject of medicinal use of marijuana concluded that there was evidence that marijuana could be useful for "pain relief, control of nausea and vomiting, and appetite stimulation. " Still, under the Title 21 of the U.S. Code, Section 812 (part of the Controlled Substances Act or CSA), the U.S. federal government classifies marijuana as a 'Schedule One' substance which has no medicinal value.
We support the rights of sick people to help themselves by using marijuana as medicine. Read what doctors, scientists, and others say about medicinal marijuana. Legalize Marijuana for Tax Revenue. Pro: Fund Crime—or Taxes? By Stephen Easton, the Fraser Institute To understand the future, sometimes we have to look in the rearview mirror. The current prohibition on marijuana consumption exactly parallels the 1920s alcohol prohibition. Every year, a widely consumed illegal substance makes potential criminals of millions and actual criminals of hundreds of thousands. And like booze during Prohibition, this substance, marijuana, is the easy revenue of organized crime, contributing tens of billions of dollars to growers, who commit a variety of bad acts both at home and abroad.
How much money is made from this single illegal substance? What about possible tax revenue? It is a proven technology. Con: A False Economy by Bob Stutman, the Stutman Group Gee, how about collecting taxes from legalized marijuana as a way of helping to deal with the deficit? There are about 170 million users of alcohol in the U.S. and 16 million users of marijuana.