Legalized Medical Marijuana

TorontoDefenceLawyers_Infographic_HeaderImage

28 states in the US, as well as many other countries around the world, have legalized medical marijuana – with some even legalizing the drug recreational use.

We are criminal lawyers in Toronto who practice in the area of drug offences, drug offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in that time. In the meantime, the infographic below takes a deeper look at why cannabis is, in fact, a medication worth legalizing.

As you will see below, clinical studies have shown that the chemical compounds in cannabis – CBD and THC – successfully treat chronic pain and a large number of other health ailments. The largest-ever study on cannabis examined over 10,000 studies and found it to be not only an effective defense against chronic pain, but also a wide range of other health problems, from muscle spasms in those with multiple sclerosis to nausea in those undergoing chemotherapy to inflammation, arthritis, fibromyalgia, anxiety, stress, PTSD and more.

In addition to its ability to effectively treat pain and a long list of other health ailments as noted above, medical marijuana has also been proven to lower opioid prescriptions and opioid-related deaths. The states that have legalized medical marijuana suffer from fewer opioid-related deaths and that number increases each year. Legalizing cannabis also means that profits to organized crime groups will be cut off.

The lack of regulation that is present right now also cannot be ignored. The legal gray area means that suppliers don’t feel pressure to meet Health Canada standards, which is true of ⅓ of dispensaries in Toronto. This means that non-regulated cannabis could potentially contain everything from yeast and mold to bacteria typically found in sewage and the intestinal tracts of humans. In fact, a study of a popular dispensary in Toronto found that its marijuana contained 9 times the acceptable amount of yeasts and molds, as well as a large traces of the bacteria often found in sewage.

While cannabis has had a long, complicated history all over the world, the benefits of legalizing it cannot be ignored. Canada’s governing Liberal party introduced a bill to legalize recreational marijuana use that is expected to come into effect in July 2018. But it still remains to be seen whether we will come to perceive cannabis as an effective form of treatment against a wide number of health concerns and a defence against opioid deaths.

Medicinal marijuana has been legalized in a number of US states and around the world.

Marijuana has been used medicinally since 4000 BC. In 1911, the drug entered the Southern US through Mexico. Throughout the 1930s, cannabis was quickly criminalized in Canada and the US.

At Toronto Defence Lawyers, we work with individuals who have been charged with marijuana possession and cultivation. In this infographic, “Why Cannabis Is A Medication That’s Worth Legalizing,” we highlight the benefits of decriminalization, how cannabis can be used to treat a variety of ailments, and the complex history of this drug.

The Medicinal Benefits of Marijuana

The two chemical compounds of Cannabis (CBD and THC) are proven to effectively treat chronic pain. THC can assist with pain, nausea and sleep disorders, while CBD can help lower blood sugar and alleviate symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.

A 2017 report – the most comprehensive to date – found conclusive evidence that cannabis effectively treats chronic pain, muscle spasms, nausea, inflammation, arthritis, fibromyalgia, anorexia, anxiety, and PTSD.

In fact, legalizing medical marijuana can significantly reduce the number of prescription opioids, and therefore the all-too-common opioid overdoses.

Reasons to Legalize

Legalization can cut off profits to organized crime, and eliminate the legal gray area that exists for marijuana. Suppliers and dispensaries currently have low standards – because no standards exist. In a recent Toronto study of local dispensaries, one popular dispensary had 9X the acceptable amount of yeast and mould in their products, as well as large traces of the same bacteria found in sewage, soil and the intestinal tracts of humans.

Looking Ahead

In April 2017, Canada’s Liberal government introduced a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, which will come into effect in July 2018. Under this new bill, Canadians can legally carry up to 30 grams of marijuana. There will also be limitations on how the drug is marketed.

Read through the below infographic to learn more about the benefits of legalizing cannabis.

Click on the following text to copy

Tell us about your case
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram