The Legalization and Controversy Surrounding Marijuana: Countries, Effects, and Impact on the Environment

• According to the UN, 4% of the world’s population between the ages of 15 and 64 consume cannabis.

Marijuana is a plant that has been used by mankind for centuries for its medicinal and recreational properties. In recent years, its use has been the subject of intense debate and controversy, especially regarding its legalization and regulation.

While some countries have legalized the medicinal and/or recreational use of marijuana, others still consider it a dangerous and illegal drug.

The United Nations (UN) prohibited marijuana during the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs held in New York, United States, in 1961, considering it a substance with dangerous properties. However, in 2020 the UN decided to withdraw it from this treaty by recognizing its therapeutic properties.

This drug was first legalized for recreational purposes in the 21st century. In 2013, Uruguay became the first country, followed by Canada in 2018 and Mexico in 2021.

In the United States, marijuana is not fully legalized, but in 2014 Colorado became the first state to authorize it for recreational use, as well as its production and sale under the then-new legal framework.

April 20 was unofficially established as World Marijuana Day, because the date is related to the number 420, which is associated with an anecdote from 1971.

A group of students in California, United States, found a map of an alleged marijuana plantation and when they left class they met every day at 4:20 pm to search, although they were unsuccessful. The story transcended to establish April 20 (4/20, in English) as World Marijuana Day.

In The newspaper Here’s a list of countries that have legalized or decriminalized marijuana:

Countries that legalized or decriminalized marijuana

The legalization of marijuana or cannabis means that consumption, possession, production and sale is allowed under certain regulations and laws established by governments.

The US states where marijuana has been legalized are:

-Colorado

-Washington

-Alaska

-Oregon

-Washington

-California

-Maine

-Massachusetts

-Nevada

-Michigan

-Vermont

-Guam

-Illinois

-Arizona

-Montana

-New Jersey

-NY

-Virginia

-New Mexico

-Connecticut

-Rhode Island

Other countries approved marijuana for medicinal purposes, which is derived from cannabis sativa, for patients with chronic pain, epilepsy, to relieve anxiety, in patients with cancer or AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease or Crohn’s disease.

These countries are the countries where medical marijuana is legalized:

America:

-Argentina

-Brazil

-Colombia

-Chile

-Ecuador

-Jamaica

-Paraguay

-Panama

-Peru

-Puerto Rico

Europa:

-Belgium

-Estonia

-Italia

-Moldavia

-Portugal

-Czech Republic

-Swiss

Oceania: Australia

Asia: thailand

However, there are other countries where marijuana is decriminalized, such as the Netherlands, which implies the elimination of criminal sanctions for the consumption and possession of small amounts, but its sale and production is still not legal.

While in the case of South Africa it can be consumed in private, but its sale and consumption in public is prohibited. The penalty for marketing this drug is 25 years in prison.

In the case of Venezuela, the use of marijuana is prohibited for both medicinal and recreational use. According to the Organic Law Against Illicit Traffic and the Consumption of Narcotic Substances y psychotropicin force since 2010, the possession of narcotic drugs is punishable by imprisonment for one or two years as established in article 153:

“For the purposes of possession, the seizure of a quantity of up to 2 grams will be appreciated for cases of possession of cocaine or its derivatives, compounds or mixtures; up to 20 grams in cases of marijuana and up to 5 grams of genetically modified marijuana”, according to the law.

¿Marihuana o cannabis?

Marijuana and cannabis are terms that are often used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses the word marijuana to refer to the flowers, leaves, stems, and dried seeds of the cannabis plant. While the term cannabis refers to the plant that contains more than 100 compounds (or cannabinoids).

Marijuana use in the world

He World Drug Report 2022 According to the United Nations (UN), the legalization of cannabis in some parts of the world appears to have accelerated daily use and related health consequences.

According to the latest data provided in this document, at least 4% of the world population between the ages of 15 and 64 consume cannabis, this translates into 209 million people.

The UN also noted that many countries in Africa, South America, and Central America have the highest proportion of people in treatment for drug use disorders.

According to the organization, the countries in the Americas that consume the most marijuana are:

-Chile with 12% of its population

-Uruguay with 15%

-Jamaica with 18%

-Canada with 20%

-United States with 22%

Effects on the body and mind

Although the CDC ensures that more studies are still necessary to understand the scope of marijuana and its effects on health, the consumption of this drug has some impacts on the body and mind.

Marijuana use, before the brain is fully developed, could affect how the brain forms connections for functions such as attention, memory and learning. These effects could last for a long time or even be permanent.

Additionally, smoking it can damage the lungs, increase the risk of bronchitis, and scar small blood vessels.

In the cardiovascular case, this drug can increase the risk of stroke, heart disease and other vascular diseases.

Likewise, the CDC estimates that 3 out of 10 people who use marijuana could present some type of addiction, so they will not be able to stop consuming it despite the fact that it is causing social and health problems in their lives.

Impact of cultivation on the environment

He reports from the UN estimated that the production of this herb also has an impact on the environment, since the carbon footprint of indoor-grown marijuana is between 16 and 100 times greater than that of outdoor cannabis.

Other 2021 University of Colorado study revealed that growing this herb indoors is very energy intensive, both from consuming electricity and pumping carbon dioxide into grow rooms to speed up plant growth.

Experts studied the energy and materials required to grow cannabis indoors and calculated the resulting life cycle of greenhouse gas emissions, the results showed that one ounce of weed can have a carbon footprint of up to 300 pounds.

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