Phillip Smith
Stop The Drug War
North Dakota could be voting on medical marijuana in November. Proponents of a medical marijuana initiative there handed in about 20,000 signatures to the secretary of state's office Monday.
Fargo, North Dakota's largest city, barely tops 100,000 people. (Wikimedia.org) They need 13,500 valid voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. Election officials have about a month to review the signatures and decide whether they are valid.
Sponsored by North Dakotans for Compassionate Care, the initiative would allow people suffering from specified illnesses—including cancer, glaucoma, and PTSD—to use marijuana with a doctor's recommendation. Patients could possess up to 2 ½ ounces and could grow up to 12 plants in an enclosed, locked space. Designated caregivers who grow for more than one patient are limited to 30 plants.
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Marijuana was classified as a Schedule I Controlled Substance in 1972 by the United States Congress. This was because, at the time, it was not seen as a substance with an accepted medical use. Over the last 16 years, however, proponents have argued that weed does have its uses for medical treatment.
Studies have shown that the use of medical cannabis can help to relieve the symptoms of cancer and the discomfort and nausea that come with chemotherapy, AIDS, pain, epilepsy, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis as well as other medical conditions. It is also used to stimulate the appetite of a person who is not eating for reasons other than actively trying to lose weight (cachexia).
Marijuana is considered a major cash crop. It is estimated that the industry pulls in tens of billions of dollars. While there is no concrete evidence of how much growers earn, there is a lot of potential for governments to reap the financial benefits of legal weed.
