Cass Doherty
Arts & Features Editor
Following in the footsteps of Colorado and Washington, Massachusetts has finally added the legalization of marijuana to the ballot.
While it’s understandable where reservations about legalization may come from, it is inevitable.
The most common assumption about marijuana is young adults use it to get high and eat a lot of food – that it’s harmful to America’s youth. While that is the stereotype, there are more uses than kicking back and chowing down on a bag of Cheetos. In order to educate people, the stigma surrounding marijuana needs to be removed.
Marijuana is particularly helpful in calming menstrual cramps. It’s also a useful way of treating anxiety and depression without putting you on a cocktail of pills.
Marijuana has plenty of uses beyond the typical medical ones that are covered by a medical marijuana card – cannabis is helpful for people who suffer from eating disorders, sleep disorders, OCD and PTSD.
Sure, there are the obvious medical uses. Marijuana aids in fighting cancer and multiple sclerosis, as well as regulating and preventing diabetes.
It’s also pretty exciting that it can help your pets lead healthier lives. Cannabis can be used as a healthy supplement, and when laced in treats, it can oGer relief to pets who live with chronic pain.
Contrary to popular belief, it can actually protect your brain, according to Scientific American.
There are, of course, people who oppose legalization – particularly those whose main concern is kids getting a hold of marijuana. Luckily, the law requires child-safe packaging and prohibits marketing aimed at minors.
There’s also the worry that cannabis products, such as edibles and bowls, will be marketed publicly in dispensary storefronts – a false fact used to scare caring mothers and fathers into voting no. Since towns will have a voice in where their dispensaries may be located, there’s no need to worry about one being placed right next to your kid’s favorite toy store or candy shop.
It’s also important to know that the creation of dispensaries will create jobs in Massachusetts, and the sale of marijuana will bring in tax revenue.
Legalization will also get rid of the criminal charges attached to possessing marijuana – meaning people who are buying or selling it from a dispensary will no longer be held in the same regard as someone who has committed a murder. Since there are many people who are wrongfully imprisoned or are turned away from jobs just because they were arrested for carrying a blunt, this is an important aspect of the law.
In addition, legalizing marijuana will lower crime rates – states that have already legalized weed have seen drops in violent crime, according to drugpolicy.org.
Marijuana is a safer alternative to alcohol, and since that is legal in Massachusetts, why shouldn’t cannabis be? Sure, it can be harmful when used improperly, but so can alcohol or prescription drugs. Anything can be harmful when abused.
It shouldn’t be a criminal offense to eat a pot brownie while hanging out with your friends on a Friday night.