Page 30 - Provoke Magazine Vol1

THE BIG BUSINESS
TheUnited States’ perception of cannabis has undergone a great transformation over the past decade. Not only has the public begun to widely accept marijuana’s positive medici-
nal uses, but they have also realized that recreational legalization can do wonders for the economy. In his ar- ticle “Legal Weed Isn’t The Boon Small Business Thought It Would Be,” FiveThirtyEighth Writer Lester Black reports that “North Americans spent $6.7 billion on legal cannabis last year.” States like Colorado have had plenty of economic success in recent years as businesses and individuals have invested millions into the marijuana industry, and it is becoming evident that cannabis is becoming the next big business. So is it wise to invest in the marijuana industry now? Before we answer that question, it is important to understand what cannabis is, how it affects us, how it helps the economy and
how it compares to other big businesses.
In his article “Everything You Need To Know About Marijuana:
What Is Cannabis,” High Times writer Adam Drury describes can- nabis as being “an integral part of human civilizations for millennia. Both as medicine and as a recreational substance.” He goes on to describe it as the “most popular illicit drug in the world.” The most common form of cannabis use is the inhalation of smoke from dried flowers picked from female marijuana plants; however, alternative forms such as vapors, tinctures, edibles and oils have made it pos- sible to ingest the substance in a myriad of ways. Up until relatively recently, cannabis was seen as a dangerous drug with no positive so- cietal effects; however, through the discovery of its’ medicinal uses, it has gone from being illegal to legal for medicinal uses to even being legal for recreational uses in some states.
So why is cannabis so important to us as a society? It is important to note the many medicinal uses that have been discovered about the plant, some of which can be a game changer for patients with a variety of illnesses. For starters, marijuana’s relaxation effects have been proven to help with mental disorders like anxiety, depression and PTSD, accord- ing to Health.com. Cannabis has also been shown to help re- lieve both chronic pain and nausea, making it very effective for those undergoing chemotherapy. The drug has also been proven to help treat sleep apnea, insomnia, epilepsy, among many other ailments, and may also have anti-cancer effects. One other major benefit of marijuana is that it is a much safer alternative to opioids. America’s opioid epidemic is current- ly out of control, and according to Health.com, “Research suggests that the use of medical marijuana may actually reduce dependence on dangerous prescription painkillers.”
There are some negatives to marijuana use that are import- ant to consider as well. For starters, cannabis has
been linked to development and health problems
in children whose mothers were heavy users.
Health.com states that regular use while pregnant resulted in issues
in children such as
“low birth
weight, anemia,
and impaired
impulse control, memory
and attention.” Marijuana use
can also be harmful if the user has
severe heart problems. It can also be of
harm to the lungs and respiratory system when
smoked, although nowadays cannabis comes in many health- ier forms such as edibles and tinctures. The final drawback of marijuana use is that it inhibits your ability to drive, though studies have proven that cannabis is still far less harmful than alcohol when it comes to operating a motor vehicle.
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