9781422276969

marijuana to be a dangerous drug. Like so many things in life, the truth lies somewhere in between. It can be therapeutic. But it also can have dangerous side effects. We’ll look at both in this book.

Did You Know?

It is legal to cultivate, or grow, hemp cannabis in some U.S. states because it only has around .3 percent THC. It can be prepared in such a way that the THC is greatly reduced or not present.

Is Medical Marijuana Legal? As of the writing of this book, marijuana is considered illegal by the federal government of the United States. It’s a Schedule I drug , which means that it’s very closely regulated like cocaine or heroin. It is legal in other countries such as Uruguay. For comparison, Schedule II drugs are prescription drugs like Ritalin and Oxycodone. Doctors may prescribe these drugs. But they may be abused. Because of this, doctors, pharmacies, and patients must work together to avoid letting them get into the hands of someone who wasn’t prescribed them. Marijuana is technically against the law nationally. However, some states have passed laws to make medical marijuana legal in their state. In a growing trend over the past decade, approximately thirty states in the U.S. have legalized medical marijuana to treat some condi- tions, and eight states have approved it for non-medicinal use (also known as recreational use). This trend isn’t just impacting the U.S. It’s a global trend. Canada, Uruguay, Denmark, and Israel, for example, have already made medical marijuana legal in some way. Other countries continue to review the research to decide if it’s right for them. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the U.S. agency responsible that regulates the safety and usage of food and medicine to treat medical conditions. It closely regulates all claims regarding the health benefits of substances like marijuana. Because the FDA hasn’t approved medical marijuana for the treatment of any diseases, doctors in the U.S. cannot prescribe it. They can only recommend it in states where it’s legal. Laws vary depending on the country or even the city you’re in.

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