subject: The Search For The Ultimate Legal Herbal High Continues [print this page] For the longest time, marijuana has been one of the most highly scrutinized substances not only by those who fight against its legality but also by those whose friends or relatives have fallen victim to the effects of this highly addictive drug.
Marijuana, or weed as it is commonly referred to, is only one form of preparation of the Cannabis plant, a plant known for being the major ingredient in many psychoactive drugs. It has been around for a very long time, even known to have existed and have had applications in the third millennium B.C.
Today, products made from the Cannabis plant such as marijuana is used for recreational, religious, and medicinal purposes. The possession, use, or sale of cannabis preparations containing psychoactive components became illegal in most parts of the world in the early twentieth century. Since then, some countries have intensified the enforcement of cannabis prohibition, while others have become more lenient.
In the United States, many places have decriminalized the possession, use, and cultivation of marijuana. Multiple places have decriminalized non-medical marijuana in the United States; however, cannabis is illegal under federal law. Most places that have decriminalized marijuana have civil fines, drug education, or drug treatment in place of incarceration and/or criminal charges for possession of small amounts of marijuana. The debate between those who are in favor of legal weed and those against it continues.
Mostly for medicinal purposes, legal weed can be procured in some states, with Washington and Oregon allowing for the most ounces allowed at 24. In California, individuals can acquire a government-issued card that allows them to purchase marijuana for medicinal purposes. Some of the conditions where medicinal marijuana can be prescribed for are nausea for cancer patients and the treatment of AIDS patients who have not responded well to conventional medication.
Since marijuana can only be legally acquired for medicinal purposes, and because the distribution of marijuana is strictly controlled in places where it is legal, the chances of individuals getting hooked or developing an addiction to marijuana is virtually negligible. Those seeking legal herbal highs will have to look elsewhere to get their fix.
