9781422276945

legalized either medical or recreational usage. Around the world, from Israel to Uruguay, governments have opted for some form of legalization. Marijuana has been decriminalized in many U.S. states, but it’s still illegal at the national level (as of the writing of this book). Decriminalization means that some- thing is technically still illegal, but the government has decided to reduce or elim- inate penalties up to a certain limit. Legalization or decriminalization are growing trends that are picking up steam. Yet, the U.S. federal government and many other countries still officially consider mari- juana a dangerous and illegal drug. Will this change soon? What do you think? In this book, we’ll explore where legalization of marijuana stands today around the world and what various public figures, medical associations and other organizations, and governments think about legalization. The State of Medical Research As public opinion shifts and laws around the world loosen, there are more opportu- nities to conduct research. Scientists now have better access to marijuana samples that were previously illegal to possess. And they can test marijuana on willing human participants. Researchers need to study both the benefits—and the side effects—of marijuana. Long-term studies in clinical settings are needed to confirm the medicinal qualities of marijuana. But, in the short term, there are many promising studies that demon- strate the healing potential for medical marijuana. They show that it can effectively reduce symptoms in people with all kinds of conditions. People with everything from seizures to post-traumatic stress disorder may benefit. We’ll take a closer look at some of these studies. We’ll look at the medical research that supports using marijuana to help with many illnesses and the side effects of cancer treatments. We’ll also consider what’s happening in the recreational market. Finally, we’ll evaluate what’s happened in the past twenty years to push this issue to the forefront, and we’ll imagine what the future of marijuana may be based on what has happened so far. So, let’s get started.

9