Epilepsy Talk
Marijuana’s time has come. .. | April 29, 2025
“If everyone smoked weed, the world would be a better place.
Even if one takes every reefer madness allegation of the prohibitionists at face value, marijuana prohibition has done far more harm to far more people than marijuana ever could.” — William F. Buckley Jr.
Americans have spoken.
Congress listened.
Marijuana’s time has come.
Nearly six-in-ten Americans (57%) say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes, while roughly 11% of Americans say that the drug should not be legal at all.
Opinions about marijuana legalization have changed little over the past five years, according to the Pew Research Center survey, conducted Jan. 16-21, 2024, among 5,140 adults.
“The strongest argument for Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition finds its roots in the far reaching harms and disparities that stem from its criminalization. The nation’s misguided war on drugs will continue inflicting harm until cannabis is decriminalized.
Nonetheless, decriminalization alone is not enough. Given the risks associated with marijuana, the nation needs the federal government to shift its posture from prohibition to regulation. To make that shift effectively, Congress needs to take a hands-on approach.
That requires legalization. — The USA Today Editorial Board
The US Justice Department’s recommendation that cannabis be classified as a schedule three drug – the same as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine – does not legalize recreational use outright, but opens the way to lighter punishments.
Medical Marijuana
Several possible health benefits of medical marijuana have been proposed:
Nausea: Marijuana is effective in relieving nausea and vomiting. Studies have shown that cannabis can decrease nausea caused by chemotherapy and almost eliminate vomiting.
Spasticity: Marijuana can relieve pain and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis.
Appetite: Marijuana can help treat appetite loss associated with conditions like HIV/AIDS and certain types of cancers.
Chronic pain: Marijuana can relieve certain types of chronic pain, including neuropathic pain, which is caused by nerve damage.
Arguments in favor of using medical marijuana include:
It’s safer: Marijuana is safer than some other medications prescribed to treat pain. For example, some people may use it instead of opioids for pain management. Opioids are highly addictive and are typically not recommended for long-term use in treating chronic pain.
You can use it in many ways: You do not need to smoke cannabis for its benefits. Products such as topical pain relief treatments, edibles, and other non-smoking applications are now available.
It’s natural: People have used marijuana for centuries as a natural medicinal agent with good results.
“The evidence is overwhelming that marijuana can relieve certain types of pain, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms caused by such illnesses as multiple sclerosis, cancer and AIDS—or by the harsh drugs sometimes used to treat them. And it can do so with remarkable safety. Indeed, marijuana is less toxic than many of the drugs that physicians prescribe every day.” — Joycelyn Elders
Recreational Marijuana
More than half of US adults have tried marijuana, despite it being an illegal drug under federal law. Recreational marijuana, also known as adult-use marijuana, was first legalized in Colorado and Washington in 2012.
Marijuana legalization refers to the practice of allowing and regulating the production, distribution, sale, and possession of cannabis so that marijuana use within the established rules is no longer a crime. There are different models of legalization, including allowing people to grow their own marijuana, nonprofit co-ops, and for-profit commercialization with retail sales.
So, perhaps the politics of marijuana are not a surprise to you.
“Drug policy is routinely presented as a choice between the war on drugs and corner stores selling heroin to kids. That’s nonsense. There is a vast array of regulatory options between these two extremes. We need to lay them out.” — Columnist Dan Gardner writing in the Ottawa Citizen
When marijuana is legalized it has a long-spreading effect. Not just keeping people out of prison, raising corporate profits and tax dollars…
Legalizing recreational marijuana would end the costly, and frequently racist, enforcement of marijuana laws.
Legalizing marijuana would make it accessible for those who need it, most notably for pain. And would cut down on the heartbreaking and unnecessary crime that often goes with it.
You decide for yourself.
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References:
https://www.britannica.com/story/pro-and-con-recreational-marijuana
https://shopgoldleaf.com/blogs/newsfeed/best-cannabis-quotes-every-patient-should-read
Tags: marijuana pros and cons, medical, recreational
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Hi Phylis,
MJ can be a great drug but also the bane of life. Why do i say that, because i’ve been taking it for a long time and it’s true that all it does is make u want to fall asleep, takes away ur motivation, and basically makes one lazy. And if you have an addictive personality it can take over ur entire day/life. This is true with most hard drugs, but this one has an edge, a happy feeling at first. Although that goes away the more and more one takes it, but by then u r hooked.
Has it helped my seizures, well my seizures stopped 4 yrs ago after having them for 15 yrs and the only thing that changed in my life was taking my own home grown MJ, rather than purchasing it from stores and changing my epilepsy med Gabapentin from capsule form to solid pill form. So i don’t know.
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Comment by kz9876 — April 29, 2025 @ 9:58 AM
While in this case, I know marijuana helps neuropathy, part of it depends upon what kind of marijuana. Smoking, gummies, creams, capsules…etc. And the mix. THC/CBD?
Some feel it makes them sleepy, some report pain relief and others feel it makes them stupid.
As far as seizures are concerned, the proof is in the pudding. I think, as you say, it’s a double edged sword. As far as addictive personalties, it’s definitely a no go.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 29, 2025 @ 10:12 AM
All drugs can be a double edge sword, just be carefully when ingesting MJ because it can cause 5x more effect than even smoking it, depending on the THC level. That’s what sends many to the hospital. Like with all drugs best to taper on to it as well as off of it if you want to stop. The first time i smoked it i smoked way to much and it was the best first 1/2 hr i had ever had, laugh at every little stupid thing. But then it hit hard i was comatose for like 2-3 hrs. I swore i would never do it again in my life. But 4 yrs later knowing friends that did it on a regular basis i also started. Helped me sleep great at nights.
Right now is the time to start growing if one wants to grow outside. Beautiful plants that only need water, sun and soil to grow nicely, after all it’s a weed.
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Comment by Zolt — April 29, 2025 @ 10:42 AM
Recently, I had marijuana brownies, baked with MJ butter. I was comatose for hours. Not a great feeling.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 29, 2025 @ 10:54 AM
I hear you and something about digesting it that seems to make it more potent. After smoking it for like 20 yrs the dispensaries started showing up here in CA. So i wanted to try the brownies and it took me back to the time when i first tried it. But not as bad, since i knew more about it, so i could handle it better.
Here in CA it’s also expensive because the govt puts so much restrictions on it, one would think they are the mafia, in control. Govt must see to it that it gets it’s piece of the pie. Only thing that does is make the black market for the drug even more popular and of course way cheaper. 🙂
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Comment by Zolt — April 29, 2025 @ 11:20 AM
Especially here in Canada, where there are cannabis dispensaries literally on every block. It’s very accessible.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy it, but I had to cut back on it myself. It’s not cheap. And I don’t like being high around my kids. :-S
I prefer the cannabis beverages now. only on the weekends!
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Comment by Tyler King — April 29, 2025 @ 10:44 AM
Cannabis beverages? That’s a new one on me!!!
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 29, 2025 @ 10:50 AM
Yeah, you should definitely seek them out!
I haven’t been able to drink alcohol in 15+ years, so it’s great to crack one open when my wife or friends are drinking beer/wine.
Kind of makes me feel drunk again lol
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Comment by Tyler King — April 29, 2025 @ 11:26 AM
it has so many benefits and it is time for that to be explored and brought to the world in the best way… We should not just focus on all the bad.
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Comment by denise421win — April 30, 2025 @ 5:14 AM
I agree.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — April 30, 2025 @ 9:31 AM