In the past couple of years, different cannabis laws have been passed that greatly transformed the market. While cannabis or marijuana had long been banned and prohibited for recreational and medical purposes, the new laws have paved the way to the gradual acceptance of the benefits of cannabis to people’s lives.
In this article, you’ll learn the benefits of the current medical-legal landscape of cannabis worldwide. You’ll have a better idea of how marijuana laws change misconceptions and provide better opportunities to the people and the economy.
- Determines Legal Rights, Obligations, And Compliance
Whether you want to become a recreational or medical marijuana user, it’s crucial to, first, know the existing cannabis laws in your area to avoid getting in trouble with the authorities. It’s important for consumers to know where weed is legal to ascertain their legal rights, determine legal obligations, and ensure strict compliance with cannabis laws.
So, what are the places where cannabis is legal?
Canada legalized the recreational use of cannabis by adults on October 17, 2018, which was the second country to do so after Uruguay. After the legalization of cannabis in Canada, small businesses have attained success in the country.
In the United States, cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, but with 15 states that have fully legalized cannabis, which include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Washington, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, and the District of Columbia.
- Provides Travel Guidance
Navigating the cannabis legal landscape provides travel guidance for consumers. Before you bring your cannabis with you on a trip, it’s important to know the existing laws in that place or country. The countries with the harshest drugs laws include the following:
- Iran
Iran doesn’t tolerate criminal offenses, including the possession of cannabis. If anyone is caught with prohibited substances in this country, hefty fines and even death penalty are the possible consequences.
- Indonesia
If anyone is caught with cannabis in Indonesia, the defendant will likely spend 20 years in jail. Selling prohibited drugs or cannabis is punishable by death.
- Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is strict with its cannabis and drug policies. People in this country consider any drug offense as an offense to God. The use and distribution of cannabis could result in imprisonment, and the length of time depends on the severity or level of offense.
- Philippines
A person caught growing, selling, and using marijuana in the Philippines will most likely spend a lifetime of imprisonment. The law bans all forms of marijuana, which makes the country one of the strictest countries when it comes to marijuana laws.
- Opens Doors For Medical Cannabis
In countries where medical cannabis is legal, patients have more treatment options to choose from. For instance, medical marijuana was approved in the United Kingdom in November 2018. Patients in the UK who are suffering from epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, chronic pain, anxiety, and other medical conditions can use medical cannabis as an adjunct or alternative treatment.
Here are the following suggestions when using medical cannabis and its legal implications:
- Cannabis Prescription: Authorized cannabis doctors should follow the best practices or guidelines for medical cannabis prescriptions. Consumers should be informed by presenting and comparing the benefits of cannabis, as well as its differences from the readily available traditional medications. By doing so, physicians can uphold patients’ rights when it comes to choosing the best medical treatment.
- Clinical Research: Further clinical research and studies are still needed to make cannabis a solid part of patient treatment. While medical cannabis in the UK is presented as a ‘last resort,’ it would be best to build and show evidence to see where cannabis-derived medicines lie.
- Analysis: Multi-criteria decision analysis should be implemented when choosing cannabis as an alternative form of medication. It’ll help determine the right doses and proper timing to aid in the decision-making of medical practitioners when creating a patient treatment plan. This way, cannabis dosing and medical applications are still within the scope of law.
- Proper Coordination: Patients, scientists, prescribers, and other stakeholders should collaborate for safe medical cannabis use. There should be proper reporting on clinical practices and monitoring of outcomes to weight risks and benefits. By doing so, cannabis patients are safeguarded by identifying and resolving potential legal issues.
- Public Information Communication: Public communication about the uses of medical cannabis should be strengthened. While cannabis information can be viewed on the National Health Service or NHS website, communication efforts should still be improved.
- Provides More Accessible And Safer Sources Of Cannabis
Legalizing cannabis provides consumers more accessible sources to purchase cannabis. Consumers can buy cannabis products online or in physical dispensaries following the legal amount that their law provides. By doing so, consumers are safeguarded against dealing with the black market, which is unregulated and illegal.
Consumers have safer options to buy marijuana products. They don’t have to deal with gangs or illicit sellers online because they can easily source them from their local area or legitimate online dispensaries. Government authorities can also benefit from navigating the legal landscape of cannabis, especially when marijuana legalization laws are passed. It would mean easier monitoring of the black market because they lose valuable clients who shift to legal suppliers of cannabis.
- Eliminates The Social Stigma
In many parts of the world, there’s still social stigma associated with cannabis use. But, with the legalization of cannabis, more and more people have an open mind in the medical use of marijuana, as well as its recreational uses.
Cannabis consumers nowadays are more motivated to use marijuana to treat health symptoms because new laws mean social acceptance. In addition, social media personalities and celebrities who support or advocate cannabis also increase the confidence of consumers in using marijuana legally. Hence, cannabis legalization and influencers further benefit general consumers by raising cannabis awareness.
Conclusion
The legalization of cannabis in different states, counties, and countries has opened doors of opportunities to consumers, businesses, and even governments worldwide. By navigating the legal landscape of cannabis in your area, you’ll have a better perspective about cannabis, providing you peace of mind that you can use this product in an acceptable way.
