As ballots were tallied and votes were secured, Missouri embarked on the first steps for the legalization of marijuana during the Nov. 6 election. With this move, Missouri follows the trend currently flooding the country—the statewide decriminalization and legalization of marijuana.

From the 1960s association with hippies to transforming into one of the top political issues in America, marijuana has been on a lengthy journey. As states across America take measures in legalizing the drug in its medicinal or recreational form, the question arises as to what is the big deal with it all.

Cannabis, or marijuana, is the most commonly used illicit drug for both teens and adults in the United States, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens. Marijuana is the dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant. Within marijuana are the compounds tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The THC compound has mind-altering capabilities, while the CBD compound does not, according to the CDC.

As of now, recreational marijuana is legal in 10 states and medicinal marijuana is legal in 33 states.

From recreational versus medicinal marijuana to the rise of CBD products and rapid legalization, marijuana continues to be a major politicized drug. As the marijuana business grows throughout the country, evaluating and deciphering all the various components revolving around this budding business is essential.

RECREATIONAL

The recreational use of marijuana is the use of the cannabis plant for enjoyment purposes. In states where the purchase of marijuana is legal, users can purchase recreational marijuana at dispensaries if they are 21 or older with a government-issued I.D. However, as many states have not approved legalization, the cannabis plant continues to sell in an unauthorized and unregulated market.

Currently, marijuana is classified as a “schedule I” drug, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. With this classification, the cannabis plant sits alongside both heroin and ecstasy as being the top dangerous drug substance. This classification even ranks marijuana as more of a danger than cocaine. Despite this classification, the ruling is still out among the public on whether or not the drug should be considered addictive or as dangerous as the possible life-taking heroin.

“I think every state should legalize it because it not only provides healing qualities, but it also doesn’t have long term effects like cocaine or heroin,” sophomore Ally Heefner said. “I don’t know why it’s considered a class one.”

Addiction, as defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, “is a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.” When looking specifically at drug addictions, addiction often presents itself through tolerance and withdrawal, according to the American Addiction Centers. With addictive substances and tolerance, the body adapts to the drug’s presence and its effects are diminished. This causes the user to desire a greater “high” and to persist in more frequent use, thus creating an increased dependence. With addiction and withdrawal, the body experiences undesirable symptoms when drug use is stopped. Typical drug withdrawal symptoms are anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, irritability, dizziness, tremors, sweating and palpitations, according to AAC.

The major argument against addictive claims is marijuana’s mild withdrawal in comparison to other drugs. Along with this, marijuana addiction is significantly lower in comparison to other narcotics. More than nine-in-ten people who try marijuana never develop an addiction, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. However, the risk of addiction is one-in-six for those who start using marijuana in their teens, according to NIDA.

On the other hand, those who argue the cannabis plant’s addictive qualities, discredit the mild withdrawal as a justification of its non-addiction. Local therapist Kyle Roste credits the mild withdrawal to the fat solubility of the substance.

“Even though some people think that pot isn’t addictive, it is and it can also be a gateway,” Roste said. “The reason people minimize whether it’s addictive or not is because it doesn’t have the withdrawal symptoms other drugs do. That’s the positive part of marijuana because it’s fat soluble and it stores in fat cells. It doesn’t release as quickly as alcohol and other drugs do. That’s why some people don’t look at that as serious.”

Despite people’s lack of acknowledging the intensity of the issue, when looking at teens, the recreational use of marijuana can be extremely dangerous. Marijuana use in adolescents has capabilities to stunt and interfere with their development, according to the American Psychological Association. During a person’s teenage years, the brain is still under construction, and takes 25 years to fully develop, according to Stanford Children’s Health.

“It can help the brain cells become more sludgy,” Roste said. “When the THC gets in the fat cells of our brain, they can slow things down. That’s where students can have school difficulties, problems with memory, concentration. Sometimes people can have more aggression and difficulty driving.”

These symptoms are few of many associated with adolescent consumption of marijuana. When using the cannabis drug, the amygdala, located in the back of the brain, is stimulated. The THC compound of the drug targets receptors of the amygdala which impairs emotional control.

“The amygdala is the part of our brain that affects our emotions. There are parts of the THC that are affecting the amygdala of the brain.” Roste said. “When teenagers are using marijuana during a time when their brain is developing, that can cause a lot of problems.”

MEDICINAL

Missouri voters voted to legalize medical marijuana, or cannabis, under Amendment 2, which was passed with a 66 percent approval last November. Under this law, any patient with approval from their physicians will receive government-issued I.D.s that will allow up to six marijuana plants to be grown and purchase up to four ounces at a dispensary on a monthly basis. Cannabis is now legal in 33 states.

“I know so many people who will benefit from medical marijuana,” senior Grace Hopewell said. “I don’t really understand why it took so long but I’m really happy it happened.”

The first medical cannabis clinic, the Green Clinic, opened in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, Feb.13. The clinic features doctors who have no affiliation to corporate health-care companies since most of these companies will not allow doctors affiliated with them to prescribe cannabis as long as the federal government lists marijuana as illegal. Clinics like these are not involved in distributing cannabis and will only determine if patients are eligible to receive a medical marijuana card based off a physical examination.

However, these dispensaries will not be available until 2020, according to estimates by Dan Viets, who spoke at the grand opening. The official rules and regulations regarding medical cannabis do not come out until June 4. So, for now, the Green Clinic will be primarily issuing consultations by doctors who will issue the right to grow cannabis or a voucher for when the dispensaries open after the regulations come out.

“I really don’t see the downside to it,” freshman Madison Miller said regarding the recent legalization of medicinal marijuana. “There’s been so many studies that prove its benefits. It helps with anxiety, can kill cancer and it’s natural. There’s no one type of medicine that works for everyone, so I think this could help a lot of people.”

Medical marijuana can help with anxiety, nausea resorting from cancer or pain from chemotherapy, chronic pain, arthritis, depression, chronic illnesses such as HIV, Crohn’s disease, seizure disorders such as epilepsy and many other physical and mental ailments, according to WebMD. And, according to medical marijuana user Jenna Miller, it works better than traditional medicine.

“I had tried so many generic-grade seizure prevention and other prescribed medication from my doctors and none of them worked,” Miller said. “But with using medical marijuana, if I’m going to have a bunch of seizures or I already am, I just have to put a few drops of it under my tongue and they can stop within five minutes. I don’t even have to call 911 anymore.”

Marijuana contains two main cannabinoids: THC, the psychoactive compound which produces the “high,” and CBD which contains most of the medical benefits. Despite containing THC, however, medical marijuana does not produce the high that recreational marijuana does since medical marijuana often has a higher concentration of CBD. The higher the concentration of CBD, the less “high” will result, according to DocMJ.

“You could smoke a joint and take some CBD tablets and you wouldn’t feel high,” Miller said. “There’s only medical benefits from my experience. I don’t feel high when I do it.”

And it has been helping a lot of people. Ninety-two percent of users say that cannabis works to treat their symptoms according to a study done on users in California. Currently, over 3.5 million people use medicinal marijuana, according to Statistica.

But there have been many concerns that though the cannabis is federally regulated, there are not enough resources to do so. A 2017 Penn State Medicine study led by Marcel Bonn-Miller revealed that nearly 70 percent of extracts sold online are mislabeled which could cause potential “serious harm to its consumers.”

This leads physicians and citizens alike to ask if it’s worth it. The use of medical marijuana is new and research is not completely definitive since there have been almost no studies that show long-term effects of both medicinal and recreational marijuana. For this story alone, two doctors declined to comment due to “inconclusive research.”

CANNABIDOIL

A seemingly overnight sensation, CBD Stores have appeared on nearly every corner in the Kansas City area. People of all ages are flocking to them for its alleged health benefits for both physical and mental health.

“I get anxious a lot and I kept seeing insane amounts of CBD stores popping up, so I decided to try it,” junior and CBD oil user Chesney Meidel said. “And it definitely helps me, but it doesn’t necessarily live up to the extreme hype around it. It’s a lot more subtle than you might think.”

But despite both medicinal marijuana and CBD primarily used medicinally, there are key differences. CBD, or Cannabidiol, is derived from a chemical found in hemp plants. Hemp plants, which are part of the marijuana plant family, have minimal THC and have no psychoactive effects, according to the Ministry of Hemp. Hemp is the male plant while marijuana is the female plant. In addition, CBD oil is not addictive and there have been no cases of overdose, according to Intrinsic Hemp.

CBD is used to treat a variety of issues such as diabetes, arthritis, ADHD, eczema and a variety of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, according to Health Line.

“Because I have arthritis and stomach issues, sometimes medicines don’t work, so my doctor recommended I try CBD,” senior Hope Locke said. “It doesn’t interfere with any of my other medicines. I use it as more of a pain reliever like Aleve or Tylenol. It works for a few hours then goes away, but it’s been super helpful in helping with pain normal pain relievers can’t fix.”

CBD can be taken in a variety of ways including lotion, vaping, soap, lip gloss, oil and water-soluble tablets, each with different effects. Products can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on how much the user has eaten before, according to NanoCraftCBD. The more a user eats before taking CBD, the longer it takes for it to take effect. Whether a user takes CBD by ingesting or by applying it topically depends on what they are suffering from, according to CBD store owner Eric Banks.

“When treating something like psoriasis or eczema, users should buy the products like lotion and soap and apply it topically in a generalized area to see the best results,” Banks said. “When you take it internally it goes through the endocannabinoid system which controls about 90 percent of your body’s functions. So taking CBD internally will result in a more homeostasis balance and help with anything neurological.”

CBD is not only being used for humans but also for pets. Junior Christina Peters has seen significant improvement in her dog’s anxiety levels since giving CBD to her.

“My dog is just so small but very high-strung,” Peters said. “So we started giving her CBD oil and treats soaked in the oil. It helps her so much and she’s so much calmer with it.”

But, similar to marijuana, there is still a lack of research regarding the actual concrete benefits of CBD, especially in animals. Veterinarian Meg Kaemmer does not condemn the use for things like anxiety or chronic pain, but is skeptical about prescribing it for more serious conditions such as heart disease.

“Everything is so anecdotal right now,” Kaemmer said. “Some patients come in and say it’s fantastic while others tell me it’s a waste of money. Animals can’t tell us how they’re feeling. We can read body language but that doesn’t tell us everything. I need to know more in order to recommend it to anyone.”

CBD is legal for both animals and humans in all 50 states, and no evidence has been found that CBD harms its user. However, long-term effects are still unknown. Though CBD is well-tolerated and is generally considered safe, there is a chance, though it is low, that CBD will have adverse side effects as displayed in some rare cases. These adverse effects include psychosis, nausea, anxiety or depression, diarrhea, changes in appetite or vomiting, according to the US National Library of Medicine.

The CBD market is expected to hit $22 billion by 2022, according to Rolling Stone, as more people and animals continue to reap the benefits CBD has to offer, despite skeptics.

“I’ve got holistic medication that I know works,” Kaemmer said. “So when they prove to me that it does work, I’ll hop on the bandwagon. But, until then, I’ll use what I know works.”

LEGALIZATION

As states across the country legalize marijuana, the question arises as to why it was outlawed in the first place.

Marijuana wasn’t taboo or abnormal when looking at history. The cannabis plant was widely available at drug stores in either a liquid form or as the refined product, hashish, according to Stephen Siff, a writer for the History Departments at The Ohio State University and Miami University. Its medicinal benefits were known to Anglo-Americans and Europeans as far back as the 1830s, according to History.com. Marijuana was only discovered for its recreational abilities through smoking after Mexican immigrants brought the practice to the states at the start of the 20th Century.

As Mexican immigration grew, so did the association marijuana held with immigrants and lower class. With this developed “anti-Mexican xenophobia,” according to Siff. The first form of federal regulation for the cannabis plant was in 1906 with the Pure Food and Drug Act. Since then, according to Siff, marijuana grew to develop a negative connotation as racial and class divides fueled continued movements towards illegalization. The drug was essentially banned nationwide with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, despite numerous objections from the American Medical Association who advocated for its healing capabilities, according to History.com.

With the “War on Drugs” of the Nixon administration, punishments surrounding marijuana use grew stricter. Nixon’s study, which was established to prove the dangers of the cannabis plant, concluded in 1972 that there was no physical danger surrounding the drug. Despite this, the push for stronger sentences and stricter laws persisted. Almost 50 years later, one in 20 arrests are based on marijuana, making the cannabis plant the focus of more than half of the drug arrests in the United States, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Kansas City Police Department Patrol Officer Joe Smith has experienced marijuana arrests, which often involve adolescents. These experiences are the reason why he is against the legalization of marijuana.

“The average age of those arrested in those situations dealing with marijuana is between 16 and 25,” Smith said. “With marijuana use, I’ve witnessed side effects where people are delusional. Sometimes they just can’t control what they do.”

Even though some are in disagreement, the shift is taking place. The decriminalization movement started with Colorado and Washington, the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. With these legalizations, teen use has decreased drastically. In Colorado specifically, teen marijuana use has dropped to its lowest point in decades following legalization, according to a National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

When it comes to growing marijuana, the business is witnessing a major shift as well. As public interest grows, more people step into the business hoping to profit.

“Now, it’s all these grey areas. It’s really going to impact small farmers in the long run,” California marijuana broker and former grower/seller James Coldsnow said. “We’re nearing an end of commercial growing because other people are doing it at scale.”

Lawmakers will face the challenges of balancing public health and safety with administrative abilities, along with conflicts with federal law, lack of institutional knowledge and facing an already well-established and grounded illicit market, according to the Regulatory Review.

“I don’t really know,” Miller said in regards to the possible legalization of recreational marijuana. “I don’t think it will end well because it might not stop with marijuana.”

This process typically takes 12 to 18 months to work out the logistics surrounding regulations and the implementations of the new laws, according to the Regulatory Review. One of the issues surrounding legalization is state government’s need to address matters that are typically left to the federal government’s control. This creates an unknown territory for state officials.

With legalization also comes changes to the economy. Colorado shows the economic benefits equated to marijuana legalization, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. With legalization of the cannabis plant there was a rise in direct employment in the marijuana sector following the passage of Amendment 64. This rise contributed to approximately 5.4 percent of all employment growth in Colorado since January 2014, according to FRBKC. Along with the increase in jobs there is also a notable increase in tax collections, which are equal to about two percent of general fund revenues in the state.

As legalization continues in full force and the marijuana business blooms, the possibility of national legalization appears evermore likely. However, it is still important to be aware and acknowledge the risks. As teens are at an all-time high in marijuana use the dangers this holds is still prevalent. Coincidently, the medicinal and economic benefits this change holds are highly promising. Conversations surrounding marijuana continues to evolve as the United States enters a new era of change.

“It’s an interesting time,” Coldsnow said. “It’s a different game now.”