Medical Marijuana Laws on the Ballots in the United States
In 1972, marijuana was placed in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which declared the US government’s position that marijuana has no “no accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Since then, there has been a growing debate on whether medical marijuana should be legalized. Because of the evidence that now shows that marijuana provides relief for such conditions as certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as glaucoma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and more, the move to legalize cannabis for medicinal purposes has increased. Today, 14 of the 50 US states currently have approved and legalized the use of medical marijuana for qualifying patients. As well, there are currently a number of US states that have medical marijuana propositions on the ballots for the November 2, 2010 ballot.
The following is a list of the US States that have placed medical marijuana laws on their ballots:
Oregon: Measure 74 was placed on Oregon’s November 2, 2010, ballot. This Measure will give patient’s access to medical cannabis through licensed and regulated non-profit dispensaries. It will also allow for the funding medical research as well as allowing for the establishment of a program to help finance Oregon health programs and assisting low-income patients.
California: The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, or Proposition 19, will be on California’s November 2, 2010 ballot. It will legalize various marijuana-related activities and allow local governments to regulate the activities. It will also allow local governments to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes, as well as authorize a variety of criminal and civil penalties.
Arizona: Arizona will have a medical marihuana proposition on its November 2, 2010 ballot. Medical marijuana will be regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services and will permit qualifying patients or their caregivers to legally buy medical marijuana from regulated clinics. Seriously ill patients with certain qualifying conditions will be provided legal access to medical marijuana if they have a doctor’s recommendation.
South Dakota: The South Dakota Safe Access Act, or Measure 13, will exempt state criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana or six plants by authorized patients.
Those who argue for the legalizing of medical marijuana contend that marijuana has been proven through various studies to have a medical use in various health treatments in the US. They say that there is enough evidence showing that marijuana easily meets the FDA criteria on new medicines benefits over the risks. As well, they cite many legal drugs that are more harmful than marijuana. As more states realize the benefits of marijuana, legalizing the plant as a medicinal drug will gradually increase. On November 2nd, 2010, it will be interesting to see how many states will be added to the growing list of states that have enacted medical marijuana laws.
Brian writes about alternative medicine such as medicinal marijuana at Cannabissearch.com
