The senate has introduced a new bill called the Carers Act. If passed, this bill will create legislation that would legalize pot on a federal level and tax it nationwide. It will also allow doctors of Veterans to prescribe medical marijuana, and marijuana would be downgraded from a schedule 1 drug, like heroin and ecstasy, to a schedule 2 drug.
Currently, 23 states allow for medical marijuana and where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Marijuana has been shown to be affective for pain control, wasting syndrome, nausea, anxiety and stress among other things. Traditionally consumed by smoking, there are now a variety of ways for doctors to prescribe pot, including a cornucopia of edible products at licensed dispensaries. Like most drugs, there are pro’s and cons in regards to the use of medical marijuana.
In some cases, marijuana can become a habit or lead to short term memory loss and over eating, shortcomings well documented by science and comedians alike. There is also evidence of lung cells changing with marijuana smoke, which has given birth to vaporizers to supposedly address potential damage.
Because they are still relatively new on the market, the jury is still out on vaporizers or E-cigarettes. To get a proper study done with solid data it will take years. Preliminary studies show that people already predisposed to lung cancer including any ex-smoker because they have a greater chance of lung cell mutation, are putting themselves at risk for lung cancer by using an E-cig.
The economic implications all point to a boon. Because medical marijuana is illegal on the federal level, it prevents the dispensary owners from putting their money in the bank. The Carers act would create an immediate infusion of cash with income estimates in the state of California alone at close to a billion dollars a year.
There are many opponents to this new law and people that want to be sure these dispensaries adhere to strict laws including not having any near churches or schools. People also want to ensure that these dispensaries fall in line with other businesses when it comes to zoning and business licensing laws.
The state of California and the rest of the country will benefit greatly from a tax standpoint, and if it’s done right, people in real need of this drug for their illnesses will also benefit. Conservative opponents of the bill argue that any fiscal benefits are far outweighed by the negative social impact of this drug leading to social disintegration.
