Now that Thanksgiving is here, it’s the time to share gratitude and joy with loved ones. We’ve always been grateful for the benefits medical cannabis provides. Even when others deny the value marijuana has, we’ve seen first-hand how it can help patients across the country and in our front yard in Las Vegas.
Now that medical marijuana dispensaries are finally available in Nevada, and that recreational marijuana is well on its way to becoming legal and accessible, we figured 2016 is a good time to stop and reflect on the long fight to end marijuana prohibition and be grateful for everything we accomplished thus far. Without further ado, here are the reasons we’re thankful for marijuana during this 2016 Thanksgiving season.
Reasons We’re Thankful for Marijuana in 2016
- Recreational marijuana is now legal in eight states and the District of Columbia.
- Medical marijuana is now legal in 28 states and the District of Columbia, making that more than half the country with legal weed.
- Recreational marijuana will be legal in Nevada beginning January 2017, and it’s expected to bring in $1.1 billion and over 40,000 new jobs to the Nevada economy by 2024.
- Nevada is a reciprocity state, meaning Nevada medical marijuana dispensaries can accept patients with medical marijuana cards from other states.
- Current U.S. Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, admits that cannabis is not a gateway drug.
- Marijuana may still be a Schedule I drug, but the federal government opened the doors to more research.
- States with legalized marijuana saw a 25% drop in opioid painkiller-related deaths.
- More people support marijuana legalization today than ever before— 61% to be exact.
- Medical marijuana patients get to celebrate 420 without judgement.
- Research shows marijuana is better for you than cigarettes.
- The medical benefits of marijuana are so undeniable, even Walgreens admits it can provide relief when traditional medications fail.
- Time just reported that researchers found marijuana can be beneficial for mental health problems, like PTSD and social anxiety.
- Research on all the effects of the cannabis plant is still murky, but millions of people are finally getting the relief they need for various medical conditions.
What other reasons do you have to be thankful for marijuana? Here at Las Vegas ReLeaf, we are thankful for everyone in the city and state who supported and fought for legalized medical marijuana, state-approved medical marijuana dispensaries, and legalized recreational marijuana in 2017.
Stop by Las Vegas ReLeaf for marijuana Thanksgiving specials and learn more about how you can get involved in marijuana regulation in Nevada.,