Note: Veriheal does not support or endorse any political candidate or their policies. We merely report on the facts as they are presented and their implications in regards to cannabis.
2020 and cannabis have made for some interesting news. With the build-up to the US Presidential election underway, it’s sure to take center stage for many people when it comes to voting for America’s next commander-in-chief. Current US President Donald Trump has remained neutral regarding his stance on cannabis legalization, allowing states to choose the route they want to pursue in regard to cannabis reform. Many Americans are tired of fighting what should not even be a battle for legal access to cannabis.
Over 30 states in the country having some form of legal access to medical cannabis. More than 10 have legal access to recreational adult-use cannabis. It’s high time that the next US President openly supports a positive change to outdated cannabis policy. Not only do they need to support it, but they also do something about it by removing cannabis from the Controlled Substance Act, where it is still listed as a schedule 1 drug. America is falling behind other countries worldwide, such as Canada, Spain, and Israel, that already actively participate in the new global cannabis trading community.
While the American government tries to flex authority on citizens for cannabis possession, other countries are capitalizing on this global market without American influence. This seems like a political and economic disaster for a country on the brink of a recession. On November 3rd, 2020, we can only hope that the next elected President of the United States will decide to unite a country that is currently divided by outdated cannabis policy. Positive cannabis reform could not only path the way for a much-needed change for the health and wellbeing of society, but it could also lay the groundwork for individuals to achieve future generational wealth and success where none previously existed.
Legal cannabis has produced a lot of green. Americans have an undeniable love for these lovely green nugs. They are finding uses for cannabis that go way past the stereotypical view of smoking it in joints, bowls, or bongs like Cheech and Chong. The legal cannabis market in 2020 has expanded from flower to include edibles, beverages, concentrates, medical devices such as inhalers, and a plethora of health and beauty products.
People are finding ways to use every part of the plant. The buds, the leaves, stalks, stems, and even the roots of the cannabis plant are made into a wide array of products. Cannabis plants are rich in more than just phytocannabinoids, they’re packed with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids too. The stalks from cannabis plants such as industrial hemp can be used to make thousands of different things. In fact, if you can dream it, it’s quite possible that it could be made from cannabis. People have even found a way to refine cannabis stalks into a plastic-like material with endless application possibilities.
The push for legal access to cannabis has helped an untold number of people achieve a higher quality of life. It has also opened doors for agricultural growth in both the farming and residential sector. There are more hemp farms in America today than we have seen since back in 1938 when Popular Mechanics speculated that hemp would become the next “billion-dollar crop” in America. It may have taken longer than expected, but hemp-hemp hooray it is finally here and happening!
Per reports from New Frontier Data, the legal cannabis was a $10.4 billion industry in 2018. North America saw a substantial surge in investment dollars into the cannabis sector, with investors blazing a cash infusion of over $10 billion into the legal green scene. This number is projected to have hit $16 billion by 2019. With all this money being made, it is sad to think that these pioneering business owners are being so poorly mistreated by America. They are forced to pay absurd taxes, and even more so, they are denied the right to claim expenses like other businesses.
Current US President Donald Trump has a smokescreen of confusion around him when it comes to his views on supporting an end to cannabis prohibition. A recording was leaked in which the President made the statement about cannabis, saying that it makes you “lose IQ points.” When President Trump was asked if he supported a bipartisan bill filed by Sen. Cory Gardner and Elizabeth Warren allowing states to establish their own cannabis policies, President Trump said “I really do. I know exactly what he’s doing. We’re looking at it, but I probably will end up supporting that, yes.”
In August of 2019, President Trump was asked about the subject of states and their decision to legalize cannabis. He replied, saying cannabis is “a very big subject, and right now we are allowing states to make that decision. A lot of states are making that decision, but we’re allowing states to make that decision.” Yet, Trump urged republicans not to place cannabis legalization initiatives on state ballots.
President Donald Trump expressed his concern to the republican party that placing initiatives supporting positive cannabis reform on ballots would hurt the political control of the government, causing increased democratic support. But, what about the people? Support for ending cannabis prohibition is at an all-time high, with 60-80 percent of Americans favoring its end. In February of 2020, Mr. Trump held in high regard countries that impose the death penalty for those who sell drugs, saying, “I don’t know that our country is ready for that, but if you look throughout the world, the countries with a powerful death penalty, with a fair but quick trial, they have very little if any drug problem.”
When it comes time to pick the next US President, cannabis reform shouldn’t be the only reason you pick a person, but it should play a major importance in your choice. The way an individual expresses their stance on this subject will continue to affect millions of American citizens. This time though, that stance means the difference between continued 1930’s era draconian cannabis prohibition or positive cannabis reform.
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