The Cannabis Wellness Center: Industry & Competitive Analysis

The role that social policies have in the lives of every citizen cannot be understated, as the rules, regulations, and laws that govern our society provide the foundation off which our social welfare system operates. Over the past several decades, the social policy issue of the legalization of marijuana has gained substantial traction in the public eye, making it a priority topic to be addressed on the government agenda. With Colorado and Washington becoming the first states in the U.S. to legalize marijuana (TIME, 2012), Alaska and Oregon were soon to follow (Fortune, 2016), prompting more discussion and research around the effects of legalizing marijuana in North America, particularly in regard to social policy.

Marijuana or Cannabis is a hallucinogenic drug that contains a very high amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It can be used for both medical and recreational reasons, but it is currently illegal in most states in this country. This drug has been illegal for the majority of this country's history, and just recently several states like Washington, California, and New York have passed laws so that people with medical issues are able to consume this drug for their own medical needs

Cannabis, also known as Marijuana, has been used by humans throughout history for medical, recreational, as well as spiritual purposes. Its fiber, oil, and seed are also refined into products such as hemp oil, wax, rope, cloth, and paper (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2013, para. 1). With 56% voters overwhelming supported for medical cannabis, California became the first state in the United States to pass Prop 215 in 1996 ensuring the patients and their primary caregivers to “have the right to obtain and use marijuana for medical purpose” (California Department of Public Health, 2013, Text of Law section, para. 1).

The practice of medicinal cannabis dates all the way back to proposition 215 in 1996 when it was passed and became legal in the state of California. Unfortunately, many counties have begun closing down medical dispensaries in their cities for various reasons. In Orange County, city officials and people from the community believe that dispensaries have brought a rise in crime to their streets. In the last coming years Anaheim, Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and even Newport Beach have cracked down on countless dispensaries in their area. The citizens of these cities are not informed what this plant does to these sick impaired people. Veterans usually need to buy and smoke this herb herb for them to be

Under the “Proposition 215” almost any adult can have access to medicine marijuana easily. It is a simple process, filling out a form, having an appointment with a doctor that certified that you need marijuana for medical purposes, and at the end paying $100 for a wrist band saying you are legal.

Throughout America, the legalization of Marijuana has sparked a mark of controversy. Major states such as California and Nevada legalized Marijuana for medical purposes. Although cannabis has been linked to harmful effects in recent history, it’s true effects are slowly resurfacing with new ideas. Unfortunately, heavy criticism arises as the stereotypical view of the “pot smoker” still associates. The pot smoker was seen as an unproductive and uneducated individual in society, exposed by propaganda and assumptions created by private interests who intent to make cannabis illegal for their own benefit. With personal background of cannabis, marijuana should be legalized for all uses.

In 1996, California set a pace that would lead to today’s debate on medical marijuana and marijuana as a whole by passing the Compassionate Use Act that allowed the use of medical marijuana. Other states have since followed the trend and school of thought, case in point; Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. The state laws have set boundaries for the use of medical cannabis and put into effect mechanisms for regulation. As of April 2015, twenty three states and Washington D.C legalized marijuana for medical use. Seven states have pending legislation. And yet the federal enforcement of prohibition still outweighs these state legalizations in many aspects. So then, what is the issue and why should the federal government legalize the medical use of marijuana? The discussion against medical marijuana is a losing argument against a changing culture and social values alongside legislative rewiring of state laws.

"Marijuana is the second most popular drug after alcohol in the country today. So many people smoke marijuana that the numbers alone seem to legitimize and condone its presence in people's lives. Yet, even in moderation marijuana is not 'safe.' Somehow this information had not filtered down to people who think they are smoking a fairly innocuous drug. Our society perpetuates the myths about pot being a fun, harmless, recreational drug. These myths feed into people's denial of marijuana's problems" (Baum 6). However, the abuse of marijuana is a problem. It is not only a personal problem, but also more importantly a social problem. Throughout history marijuana has been used to serve various purposes in many

The benefits of using medical cannabis to manage such conditions as chronic pain or anxiety have been proven through years of effective testing. Even as Canada moves to legalize recreational marijuana at the federal level, however, there are still many questions surrounding medical marijuana. Many doctors still feel uncomfortable authorizing cannabis as a solution. But the largest question for new patients is often, “Where can I get medical marijuana?” which in the age of the internet becomes, “Should I buy medical cannabis online?”

Background and ThesisThere are 29 States in the United States of America that have legalized marijuana for medical use. Marijuana first became illegal in 1937 when the United stated introduced The Marijuana Act. This Act stated that anyone buying, selling, dealing or giving away marijuana must pay the Internal Revenue a special tax (Industry Updates) To eliminate trafficking of psychoactive drug, congress passed The Controlled Substance Act in 1970. The U.S Governmentfound the marijuana had a high potential for abuse. Because of that they classified it has a Schedule 1 controlled substance, the government did not believe that marijuana had any medicinal purposes. The law held a penalty of 5 years in prison and $250,000 in fines for even the smallest amount of marijuana.. The United States found that Marijuana effects the user’s mental health as well as their lungs. Smoking Marijuana places 30 times more carcinogens than cigarette smoke into your lungs (Bob Barr). Cannabinoid receptors in the brain are affected by the THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the main chemical in Marijuana. Smoking Marijuana only takes about 30 seconds to get in the blood stream and to your brain. Once THC reaches the brain it over activates the Cannabinoid receptors altering the persons mind and body (Kevin Bonsor and Nicholas Gerbis).The U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) found cannabis to give relief to people with conditions like

patients in most medical cannabis states can grow an allowed supply of cannabis at home and thereby become maximally self-reliant. However, for various reasons such as illness or disability, lack of skill, lack of germplasm access, start-up expense, or housing rules, many patients cannot fully self-supply their medicinal cannabis and need or want other alternatives. Centers and sites for dispensing cannabis for medical purposes, in addition to direct home delivery services, have appeared throughout the United States and have been met with varying degrees of acceptance and scorn at all levels of governance.” - (Aggarwal M.D et al.,

At the federal level marijuana is still illegal under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C § 811), effectively treating it in the same spectrum on cocaine and heroin. The federal government puts every drug into a schedule which is a principle according to potential for abuse and medical value. Furthermore the aforementioned act does not differentiate between medical and recreational marijuana in its classification as a Schedule 1 drug. Doctors can “recommend”, but not “prescribe” marijuana use under the First Amendment. On August 29, 2013 the Department of Justice wrote a guidance memo to prosecutors, which states that prosecuting state medical marijuana cases is not a federal priority. Most medical cannabis follow a set of eight guidelines as stated in the article. In the landmark case of Gonzales v. Raich (2005), the Supreme Court established the constitutional right for the federal government to prohibit marijuana in any case. The Commerce-Justice-Science bill was a bill created to prohibit the Justice Department to use funds that prevent states to enact medical cannabis laws. Lobbying on the Justice Department’s side is illegal. Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act of 2015 has until December 30, 2016 to be passed. The CAREERS is a huge advancement for the developing idea and research in pertains to

They must qualify that the patient will receive some sort of therapeutic benefits to medical marijuana use. They have to certify that the patient has one of the medical conditions listed to qualify for medical marijuana use, though they do not have to list the specific condition. As with any other treatment, they must inform the patient of the risks and the benefits of marijuana use. They can only certify patients if they a patient-physician relationship. They must indicate at least an estimate of how long the patient will need to use the medical marijuana (Maine Medical Association

Many people are pushing their state’s legislature to legalize the possession and sale of marijuana to persons over the age of 21. While many people believe marijuana is medically beneficial when used properly, just as many people disagree with this belief. The purpose of this paper is to give the facts supporting both sides of this proposal.

The use of cannabis toward medicine should not be shocking to anyone, since it has been around for centuries. As a matter of fact, it has been under medicinal aid for an estimated 5,000 years. Western medicine truly grasped marijuana’s medicinal abilities in the 1850’s. Infact, doctors documented over one hundred papers about how marijuana helped numerous disorders, such as nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders, pain relief, depression, and anxiety. It also helps cancer patients and those with HIV or Aids. Currently, many American patients have access to marijuana use so that they can have effective treatments for their illnesses. Medical marijuana use is achievable because