Hydrolife Magazine April/May 2017 (Canada Edition)

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Boomers comprise a large proportion of
our senior citizens. They tend to have a
more realistic outlook on marijuana use,
and they vote.
This propensity to install less hardline
administrations, on average, has led
to more research funding for cannabis
trials. The outcomes often not only
underline the Shafer Commission’s
original findings that marijuana results
in much less harm than Nixon believed,
but that it also has medicinal values
that benefit society while increasing
revenue for governments.
”AS industry and manufacturing left
many parts of the United States and
Canada at the end of the 20 th century,
the vacuum left in its wake was
financially devastating
to the economy.“
The Current State of Cannabis Usage
in the United States and Canada
All Canadian provinces currently allow
for medicinal usage of cannabis, as do 28
US states and the District of Columbia.
Each of these states has a range of
different medical conditions for which
cannabis may be used and differing
procedures regarding the manner it is
prescribed, where it is legal to dispense,
etc. Eight states and the District of
Columbia also have laws allowing for
recreational cannabis use. In the next
few months, the Canadian government
is expected to announce federal
legalization of recreational marijuana.
The federal government of the United
States still classifies cannabis as
a controlled substance, but in 2014,
Congress passed a law that prohibits
federal agents from conducting raids on
growers of medicinal marijuana in states
where it is legal.
The tide is certainly turning. More
states are considering laws to allow
for medicinal cannabis and the US
federal government has indicated
that the enforcement of laws related
to marijuana are not the best use of
the country’s time and resources. It is
inevitable that more states will allow for
its use in the years to come.
Chris Bond is the manager of
the McKay Farm and Research
Station at Unity College in Maine.
His research interests are with
sustainable agriculture, biological
pest control, as well as alternative
growing methods. He is a
certified permaculture designer
and certified nursery technician
in Ohio and a certified nursery
professional in New York, where
he got his start in growing.
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grow. heal. live. enjoy.
myhydrolife.ca