Cannabis: What's the big deal?

Opinion column

Cannabis: what’s the big deal?

The debate is endless. Should cannabis be legal? While most people are either all for it or all against it, I believe there are two different aspects to each side. While medical cannabis can do wonderous things for some people’s bodies, I think there are also some people who have poor reactions to it because their body can’t handle it, or maybe they’re allergic to it. I know several people who absolutely can not stand the smell of it and they get migraines from just a whiff. Could that be an allergic reaction? Could it be that their bodies can’t tolerate it? The fact is, there hasn’t been enough studies done to prove that people could be allergic to cannabis, but it is surely a possibility. Hopefully scientists can get enough studies done to show all aspects of the effects of cannabis, but until then, people will continue to smoke it. There’s a big part of the American population that thinks cannabis is very different from alcohol, but I don’t see it that way.

Alcohol, too, was once illegal. People still drank it. They still broke the law. People are doing the same thing with cannabis. Things are not so different now. Eventually, alcohol became legal, and I believe that cannabis will be legal someday, too. For now, those who want cannabis legalized, need to advocate for its benefits to the ill, such as people with chronic pain, seizures, anxiety, or those dealing with the side effects of chemotherapy. There is a long list of illnesses that can treated with cannabis, if only to make the illness a little easier to bear. They need to prove to those who doubt the benefits of cannabis that the effects are enough to do some good, just like all other medicines.

Cannabis is not a cure-all. Neither are antidepressants or pain medication. Cannabis will not make your anxiety or depression disappear, nor will it make your pain cease to exist. But can you think of another medicine that will? Pain medication like Vicodin and Oxycodone can often be addicting, as well as medication for anxiety and depression such as Klonopin or Xanax. Cannabis is not an addictive substance. Some people can convince themselves that they need it on a daily basis, but that is not true. When you immediately stop taking pain or anxiety medication, you begin to have withdrawals, which can lead to side effects like sweating, vomiting and convulsions. If you immediately stop ingesting cannabis, you will not have side effects like this. You might crave it, or wish you had it, but that is not addiction.

Overall, yes, I think cannabis should be legal. However, I will not deny the negative side effects of the drug. Starting to smoke cannabis at a young age can lead to serious developmental issues in the brain. Which is why it should remain illegal for minors. Just like alcohol. If cannabis is regulated and mandated like all other dangerous substances are, it could be a successful economic builder in the United States. Colorado has already poured millions of dollars back into their education system just from tax on cannabis. Legalizing cannabis could not only benefit the generations to come, but start to bring our economy to a better place.