{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-tags-template-js","path":"/tag/mainstream/","result":{"data":{"allArticle":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Article_2088-markdown","title":"Marijuana Legalization Victories Sweep Across the US","slug":"marijuana-legalization-victories-sweep-across-the-us","content":"One thing is clear following the recent election, pro-marijuana sentiment continues to take root all across the country. All but one marijuana bill on ballots across the country passed, opening up even more states to recreational and medical marijuana. Across the country now: 8 states have legalized recreational marijuana, 21 states have legalized medical marijuana, and 15 states have legalized limited medical marijuana, which primarily refers to only the allowance of high CBD, low THC cannabis products. Not only do these many new bills provide marijuana to many people it could help, but each new market has the potential to produce large amounts of money for the states they are in. Here’s a review of what bills passed across the United States. \n\n## Medical\n\n#### Arkansas: Issue 6\n\nArkansas’s medical marijuana issue included a list of 17 medical conditions that would qualify a patient for medical marijuana use. It includes the creation of a Medical Marijuana Commission and a tax system that would provide revenue to technical institutes, vocational schools, and a general fund. The issue passed with 53% of the vote. The Arkansas medical marijuana industry is projected to generate $6.4 million. \n\n#### Florida: Amendment 2\n\nFlorida previously defeated a similar amendment to their state constitution in 2014, but this year it passed with 71.9% in favor. The amendment allows doctors to prescribe marijuana to patients with cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/Aids, PTSD, Crohn’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, MS, or “other debilitating conditions”. The Florida market is expected to generate $1.6 billion. \n\n#### Montana: Initiative 182\n\nInitiative 182 amends the previous medical marijuana bill in Montana that had created very strict restrictions on the number of recommendations doctors could give and caused other problems that limited many people from having access to medical marijuana. The new initiative requires providers to get licenses and receive regular inspections. It does, however, remove restrictions on provider limits and allows chronic pain and PTSD patients to access medical marijuana. The initiative passed with 56.9% of the vote, and is projected to produce $127.7 million. \n\n#### North Dakota: Measure 5\n\nNorth Dakota’s measure 5 sets up a system for the creation of nonprofit “compassion centers” that allow patients to access medical marijuana. If a patient lives more than 40 miles from a care center, however, they are able to grow a limited number of plants. Patients enrolled in the medical marijuana program are subject to random interviews, with only a 24 hour notice, to ensure their eligibility. The bill passed with 64% of the vote. The medical marijuana market in North Dakota is expected to generate $2.3 million. \n\n## Recreational\n\n#### Nevada: Question 2\n\nNevada’s question two sets up a recreational marijuana market in the state, where medical marijuana is already legal. Question 2 defines that tax revenue from cannabis will go towards funding K-12 education in the state. The bill passed with 54% and is expected to produce $621.9 million in the state. \n\n#### Massachusetts: Question 4\n\nQuestion 4 allows for people over 21 in the state to possess 10 ounce of marijuana at home, and one ounce in public. It also allows for the growth of 6 plants per person. The state will levy a 3.75% excise tax on marijuana. The bill passed with 53% of the people in the state voting for it. The recreational market in Massachusetts is expected to generate $1.1 billion dollars. \n\n#### Maine: Question 1\n\nMaine’s Question 1 outlines a legalization, taxation, and regulation process to take place in the state. Revenue from taxation of marijuana in Maine is set to go towards health and schools. Question 1 is known as one of the most progressive recreational marijuana bills and boasts the ability for people over 21 to have up to 12 flowering plants at one time. The bill just barley passed, with only 50.3% of people voting for it, and many opponents are demanding a recount. \n\n#### California: Proposition 64\n\nProbably the most anticipated recreational marijuana bill, [Proposition 64](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/57cf68b372d0670007e32abf/california-marijuana-legalization-prop-64) allows for people over 21 to have access to recreational marijuana across the state of California. The bill legalizes the cultivation of marijuana and hemp and has restrictions in place to prevent corporate monopolies. California’s Proposition 64 was controversial in the marijuana friendly state because of the 15% sales tax that will be levied on marijuana, as well as the $9.25 per ounce cultivation tax. The proposition passed in California with 55% of the population voting for it and the recreational marijuana industry in the state is expected to produce a whopping $7.6 billion. \n\n#### One Loss: Arizona’s Proposition 205\n\nArizona’s proposition 205 would have created a market to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in the state to distribute cannabis for recreational purposes. People over 21 in the state could have also grown up to 6 plants and there would have been a 15% tax on cannabis. Despite the loss, Arizona’s medical marijuana market will remain intact. \n\n______________________________________________________________________\n\nIf you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our [Cannabis 101](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/cannabis-101-your-quick-guide-to-medical-marijuana) post. [HelloMD](https://www.hellomd.com/) can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient.\n\n\n[Image Credit](https://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/6099430957/in/photolist-ahZbjH-43UB74-9TNUjC-5kBKvM-p7eWqi-6zmZed-cdsHBj-5Gmmcd-8QSbGH-s4CJgn-FcADHn-7ef7u9-9Mp2PX-bMH63H-7HttTW-4MeVgn-5AA9Yp-3RQ5Jg-J6URye-qVasip-59ZRNH-59ZRtz-59ZRGH-59ZS3i-59ZRfx-q8pAwL-5a57Ed-5a576N-aowBTd-53w2Lo-bhFLyK-b4h4Z2-wCmvy-o8z1Xq-8Hz1kw-53w2oj-52WbEF-covMtw-5vNfWh-JyHEE-5kBKPB-575reX-rb4as-vD6uDD-5a57qG-59ZQXZ-59ZR6P-5a57ws-5a55Cd-59ZSnV)\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.4705882352941178,"src":"/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/ee604/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.png","srcSet":"/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/69585/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.png 200w,\n/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/497c6/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.png 400w,\n/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/ee604/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.png 800w,\n/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/4c5c8/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.png 1004w","srcWebp":"/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/58556/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/61e93/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.webp 200w,\n/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/1f5c5/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.webp 400w,\n/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/58556/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.webp 800w,\n/static/5517417549f665f7d227e26f75b99239/eddbc/3b8cc3281a40a9fa5559df63e1dd8fde.webp 1004w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}},{"node":{"id":"Article_2045-markdown","title":"Marijuana Becomes Mainstream","slug":"marijuana-becomes-mainstream","content":"[Cole Porter](http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=16514) may not have\r\nthought himself a sociologist, but this famous songwriter captured the\r\nepitome of a process called normalization in his famous song, \"Anything\r\nGoes.\" Normalization is when something that was once considered deviant\r\nbehavior (in Porter's lyrics, \"a glimpse of stocking\") becomes socially\r\nacceptable.\r\n\r\nCannabis is now the \"stocking,\" and its use, availability and acceptance\r\nare growing in the United States, as well as in other parts of the\r\nworld. Cannabis is becoming normalized.\r\n\r\n**Defining Normalization**\r\n\r\n[Howard Parker](http://howardparker.co.uk/academic%20cv.pdf), an\r\nemeritus professor of the School of Law in Manchester, England, has\r\nwritten extensively about the normalization of illicit drugs in England.\r\nHe cites the following indicators of normalization:\r\n\r\n-   Increasing availability of the drug (and revenue in the United\r\n    States)\r\n-   Increasing use of a drug\r\n-   More tolerant attitudes toward users\r\n-   Presentation of drug cultures in TV, film and music\r\n-   More liberal policy shifts\r\n\r\nLet's apply these indicators to cannabis.\r\n\r\n**Increasing Availability and State Revenue**\r\n\r\nOver the past 20 years, states have passed [cannabis\r\nlegislation](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/14/6-facts-about-marijuana/)\r\nthat decriminalizes possession (14 states), provides for medical use (23\r\nstates plus Washington DC) and has legalized recreational use (4 states\r\nplus Washington DC). Patients who use cannabis for treating\r\n[pain](https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness-marijuana/pain-pain),\r\nphysical or mental illness now have access to a medication that 20 years\r\nago would not have been legal or feasible.\r\n\r\nA 2015\r\n[study](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/26/marijuana-industry-fastest-growing_n_6540166.html)\r\nreports that legal cannabis is the fastest growing industry in the\r\nUnited States. The cannabis market grew 74 percent from 2013 to 2014 to\r\na \\$2.7 billion industry, with an estimated 32 percent growth in 2015.\r\nSuccessful growth means increased tax revenues. In 2015, [cannabis tax\r\nrevenues](http://www.cannalawblog.com/five-top-indicators-that-cannabis-is-normalized/?utm_source=HarrisMoure+-+Canna+Law+Blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=693d41c3b6-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_f771927421-693d41c3b6-71328637)\r\nwere \\$66.1 million for Colorado and \\$70 million for Washington; while\r\nthese numbers are good for the state's bottom line, it also benefits the\r\nresidents. For instance, Colorado has designated \\$40 million of the tax\r\nrevenues for school construction, \\$12 million for youth and\r\nsubstance-abuse programs, and \\$2 million to college scholarship funds.\r\n\r\n**Increasing Use and More Tolerant Attitudes**\r\n\r\nCannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug in America, and its [use\r\nhas\r\nincreased](http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/nationwide-trends)\r\nfrom 14.5 million Americans aged 12 and older in 2007 to 19.8 million\r\nAmericans in 2013. Acceptance is also on the rise, since more and more\r\nAmericans support the\r\n[legalization](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/14/6-facts-about-marijuana/)\r\nof cannabis: 53 percent in 2015 compared to just 12 percent in 1969. A\r\nPEW Study in 2014 found that 75 percent of the public believe marijuana\r\nwill be legal nationwide\r\n\r\n**Presentation in TV, Film and Music**\r\n\r\nCannabis has been presented in movies and television for decades, but\r\nthe focus has changed from the melodramatic propaganda film, \"Reefer\r\nMadness,\" to social acceptance in movies such as \"Stepmom,\" in which a\r\ndying character smokes marijuana to ease her cancer pain without the use\r\nbeing central to the plot. A recent television situation comedy, \"Modern\r\nFamily,\" introduced new neighbors as the owners of a medical marijuana\r\ndispensary with no more fanfare than if they owned a shoe store.\r\n\r\nThe music industry has also incorporated cannabis.\r\n[Billboard](http://www.billboard.com/articles/list/1558962/420-songs-20-smokin-tunes-about-weed),\r\nwhich tracks and reviews music, lists the top 20 cannabis-related songs,\r\nand they are not all by Bob Marley; songs range from rock and roll, to\r\ncountry, to jazz, to hip hop, with only one thing in common. They\r\nmention marijuana.\r\n\r\n**More Liberal Policy Shifts**\r\n\r\nCannabis is listed as a Schedule 1 drug by the [Drug Enforcement\r\nAdministration](http://www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml). This means that\r\ncannabis has \"no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for\r\nabuse,\" despite the growing body of evidence to the contrary. Despite\r\nfederal legislation making it illegal to grow, sell or possess cannabis,\r\n27 states have passed laws either decriminalizing cannabis or allowing\r\nfor some use. According to the [National Cannabis Industry\r\nAssociation](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54bd4335e4b0b0eaa1130f2c/t/564ba311e4b0f9b15941c4d2/1447797521593/Top5StatestoWatchin2016.pdf),\r\nseven states are looking to expand current or pass new legislation\r\nregarding cannabis in 2016. California, Nevada, Maine, Arizona, Vermont\r\nand Massachusetts are looking at the possibility of legalizing\r\nrecreational adult use of cannabis in 2016, and Florida is debating\r\nlegislation for legalizing medical marijuana.\r\n\r\n**Cannabis Culture**\r\n\r\nParker's indicators of normalization aren't the only signs that cannabis\r\nis achieving normalization, since it is now becoming integrated into\r\ncultural events. Take cannabis-themed\r\n[weddings](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/08/marijuana-wedding_n_5648307.html),\r\nfor example. Some wedding couples are setting aside reception areas for\r\nsmoking cannabis, similar to tobacco smoking or alcohol. Some offer a\r\ncatered \"weed bar,\" where guests can partake of different varieties of\r\ncannabis or methods of cannabis delivery.\r\n\r\nColorado has also introduced cannabis into the\r\n[tourism](https://www.coloradopotguide.com/what-to-do/marijuana-tours/)\r\nindustry. Similar to a wine-tasting crawl, vacationers can sign up for\r\ntours that feature limo bus rides to cannabis-growing facilities,\r\ndispensaries and hotel accommodations. Some tourist packages offer\r\ndiscounts on purchases, as well as rides to and from the airport.\r\n\r\nLastly, for the tech savvy, a wide variety of cannabis-related apps are\r\nnow available, including on Apple, which had banned such apps prior to\r\n2015. According to\r\n[Appcrawlr](http://appcrawlr.com/ios-apps/best-free-apps-marijuana), a\r\nthird-party app search program, more than 50 cannabis-related apps are\r\navailable; these apps include dating opportunities, social media sites,\r\ninformation about specific types of cannabis and more.\r\n\r\n**Anything Goes**\r\n\r\nAlthough we're no longer treating cannabis as they did in \"Reefer\r\nMadness,\" we're not quite to the Cole Porter \"anything goes\" stage. At\r\nthe same time, the signs are showing that the \"glimpse\" of the cannabis\r\nstocking may well become acceptable.\r\n\r\n[Image Credit](https://www.flickr.com/photos/ianturk/2154922331/in/photolist-4hqxki-rcK41j-qXgNmH-AkrixD-4AdpdV-4EAgVX-a7wCmZ-a7wCie-9hWFRM-8KfCvo-a4K54o-bKUf7F-eYMinb-iuW1Us-he5vz-57XSGW-9Nfqqe-9Nfof6-9NieFY-9NftZi-9Ni8QA-9NfsZp-9Niafy-9NfoHV-9NidQ1-9NihzU-9Nfs5H-7ETUus-5Q656V-4wjYEA-kSsKu-9Nfrot-9Nib4S-9NicVG-9NifFN-9Nftic-9NfvhB-9Nfsng-9Nfv1v-9NicaE-4fJgfV-BsKqE-7onsYp-8pUrHe-66V968-opRLyC-66ZoNh-66Zp5W-66V9Dt-66V9yp)\r\n","image":{"childImageSharp":{"fluid":{"base64":"data:image/png;base64,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","aspectRatio":1.3605442176870748,"src":"/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/ee604/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.png","srcSet":"/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/69585/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.png 200w,\n/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/497c6/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.png 400w,\n/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/ee604/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.png 800w,\n/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/01d13/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.png 889w","srcWebp":"/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/58556/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.webp","srcSetWebp":"/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/61e93/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.webp 200w,\n/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/1f5c5/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.webp 400w,\n/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/58556/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.webp 800w,\n/static/1c1375dcd456c8bf91a1a12c51ceb929/542b7/391ecf721959d5107bdc50f9a2d9ff9d.webp 889w","sizes":"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px"}}}}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":0,"numPages":1,"currentPage":1,"id":5469,"name":"Mainstream","slug":"mainstream","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}