MORE STATES APPROVING “ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT OPTION”
by Contributor
(Mar. 28, 2019) — From pain relief to regulating seizures to helping ease nausea in HIV/AIDS patients, medical marijuana has become an alternative treatment used by doctors and patients worldwide. The body of evidence from clinical trials and research show a growing database of support for the possible wide-ranging medical use of various substances in the Cannabis plant. This suggests this is not just a fad, but a continuing trend. Even in our own country, more doctors and patients are accepting medical marijuana as a valid treatment option. As the legalization continues to expand, the market continues to grow.
More State Legalized Medical Marijuana
The start of the march to make medical marijuana legal began over 20 years ago. In 1996 California passed proposition 215 allowing the use of medical marijuana within the state. After extensive research trials and the work of a variety of lobbying groups, more than half of the states in the nation have some level of legalization for various medical uses. According to the National Conference on State Legislatures 33 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico have approved comprehensive public medical marijuana and/or cannabis programs.
Laws regarding the legal use of medical marijuana are different for each state and region. Federal laws still classify the use of marijuana as a schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substance Act, making the use of any type of marijuana still illegal. New federal laws and government officials understanding the growing use of Cannabis as an alternative treatment, are working with state governments on allowing the medical use of the substance without prosecution and states even have agreements between each other for a medical marijuana reciprocity program.
Cannabis Potential as a Fast Growing Industry in the US
The use of marijuana for medical treatment is worldwide. There are several regions where medical marijuana is legal and is accepted as a feasible alternative treatment option. These countries and regions include Germany, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, and Canada.
With the acceptance of marijuana as an alternative medical treatment, legalizing the recreational use of marijuana is the next big step. As of October 2018, only two countries have legalized the use of recreational pot, Canada and Uruguay. Several other countries are following the lead. South Africa, the country of Georgia, and the Netherlands are close behind in making recreational marijuana legal. In 2012 the United States began following in the world’s footsteps with Colorado and Washington being the first 2 states to pass laws to legalize recreational use.
As the United States works on its own regulations on legalization, within the states the cannabis industry continues to grow exponentially faster than many other industries. According to CNBC and New Frontier Data, an industry research firm, the medical marijuana industry is expected to create 250,000 jobs in the U.S. by 2020. In 2017 job postings for the industry increased by a whopping 445 % according to ZipRecruiter.
The growth in the medical marijuana industry is surpassing other high growth industries such as tech and healthcare. As more states approve legalization, the pot business will continue to grow across the nation, creating a whole new job market.
Pot Job Market is Getting Hotter
The state-level legalization of medical marijuana is being followed closely by the legalization of small levels of recreational use. As overall pot use increases, the cannabis industry is and will require more product, dispensaries, factories, and other all the necessary things, especially cannabis marketing that make a business boom. With this comes the increased demand for more workers across the board. From unskilled laborers to professionals with degrees, the industry is a hot market for new careers and jobs that didn’t exist prior to legalization. As a new market, this is an excellent time for workers to get into the industry on the ground level.
For better or worse, currently, there are no federal regulations for the legal pot industry. On the one hand, this means businesses won’t have federal agencies breathing down their neck to adhere to their rules. On the other hand, business owners will need to know and follow any and all state and local regulations. Also, with legislation regarding the use and sale of medical marijuana being state to state, there is no single association or governing body for licensing certification, or training for the field. As the marijuana market gains momentum federal, state and local governments will have to create new laws to accommodate a brand new industry.
At this time the west coast is the hottest market for jobs in the legal pot industry. Three states that have the highest demand for workers in the field are California, Colorado, and Washington. The cities follow the same trend with Denver, Los Angeles, and San Francisco being the top three cities for jobs. As more states legalize the use of medical and recreational marijuana, a whole new industry will bloom, creating new jobs and financial gains across the nation.
I had chronic head pains recently and the only thing that helped was some cannabis. It’s cheaper to grow yourself. so I started growing my own plants, got the seeds on the buzz farmer, google it, great value.