That’s a very good question.
Today, 23 states and the District of Columbia have a medical marijuana program in effect, with three more pending legislation. Four states, and D.C., have legalized recreational cannabis use while ten others have a medical marijuana program and decriminalized possession of small quantities.
Modern medical cannabis is used to treat a whole array of ailments and symptoms, thanks to advancements in technology. Each variety of strains have different qualities to treat a wide array illnesses.
Arguably the most recognized strain of medical marijuana is known as “Charlotte’s Web.” The strain was named after Charlotte Figi, “the girl who is changing medical marijuana laws across America.” Born in 2006, Charlotte took her first dose of medical marijuana concentrate when she was five years old. Since she was diagnosed, Charlotte was having 300 violent seizures a week due to Dravet syndrome, with her parents trying every available option to cure her before packing up and moving to Colorado.
After a regimen of Charlotte’s Web concentrate, Charlotte’s seizures went from 300 a week to only two or three per month. Since then, many families have moved to states with medical marijuana to treat their sick children with a natural remedy. As of 2013, Charlotte has an average of four seizures a month and is now able to lead a normal childhood.
Aside from epilepsy, medical marijuana can be an effective and safe method of treatment for depression, insomnia, muscle spasms, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, cancer, and pain associated with thousands of conditions.
Aside from medical use, cannabis is also used to produce hemp. Hemp is turned into fuel, pulp, paper, resin, wax, rope, hemp seed foods, and hemp oil. It is rich in nutrients and minerals including essential fatty acids, omega-3s, omega-6s, and protein. It is comparable to other protein sources such as soy, milk, eggs, and meat. Hemp can also be be used to make building materials, as well as fully biodegradable “bioplastics.”
Here at Legal Cannabis Movement, we believe that the proper education of the cannabis plant is the key factor to deciding if it is right for you. Legalization and regulation of cannabis (like with alcohol) will produce millions of dollars in taxes for the states that legalize it and help millions of ailing patients, while also being a devestating blow to drug cartels and the underground drug market. Marijuana is the most widely used illegal drug in the world, second only to other legal drugs such as alcohol and tobacco. However, there were no deaths associated with marijuana in 2013, compared to almost 44,000 deaths from drug overdoses, over 16,000 of which were prescription drugs.