All About Cannabis

by Will Espero

The legalization of cannabis for recreational adult use has been a political hot potato for many decades. Opponents and supporters of legalizing cannabis have argued back and forth as government entities lead the way on this controversial matter.

Although cannabis is illegal at the federal level, states in the USA have passed legislation to legalize medical cannabis and adult recreational use.

The federal government has allowed medical and recreational cannabis in states that have taken up the cause with California leading the way for the cannabis renaissance in 1996 with Proposition 215.

To date, 38 states have approved medical cannabis for patients with certain diseases and ailments such as pain relief, PTSD, glaucoma, cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, lupus, and multiple sclerosis.

I know of people who use cannabis for insomnia, anxiety, and stress as well.

Twenty-four states have approved recreational adult use of cannabis with Hawaii falling short this last legislative session.

The Hawaii state Senate did approve a measure, but legislation stalled in the House of Representatives after a few hearings. The House did not have the political will to move a measure to conference, and bills will need to be introduced again for the next biennial.

The cannabis plant has been used throughout the world for thousands of years as it is a plant that grows wild in many regions.

Interestingly, despite the federal government’s lack of support to legalize cannabis, the federal government does own US patent 6630507 which was assigned to the Department of Health and Human Services in 2003.

This patent notes cannabis has medicinal value, and our government clearly understands the potential opportunities in healthcare and patient use. This certainly shows a degree of hypocrisy and misinformation the federal government has been a part of for some time.

Control and profit are two reasons why the federal government took action to be involved in this changing, developing field, and now, the advocacy of many is being heard, albeit slowly and methodically.

The current rescheduling of cannabis by the Biden administration from a Schedule 1 to a Schedule 3 drug is a milestone many advocates have been working on.

When approved as expected, cannabis will no longer be classified as a dangerous drug like heroin and cocaine, but rather as a drug with medicinal value.

It will still be illegal at the federal level, but the barriers to legalization will become less problematic.

The blatant lies by some and the mis-scheduling of cannabis for years as a Schedule 1 drug have hurt our society, and it’s about time facts and evidence-based research are allowed for a very promising wonder plant.

There are many accounts and much evidence of the cannabis plant being a healing plant, and with rescheduling cannabis to category 3, more funding will now go to important research that could lead to a cure for cancer, for example.

RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) is an iconic and well-known cannabis substance with a history of fighting cancer. Its use and lore are legendary in the medical cannabis world.

Marinol is a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and it has synthetic THC, a substance found in the cannabis plant.

Also, epidiolex is another FDA-approved prescription cannabidiol (CBD) to treat seizures associated with certain ailments.

The potential and opportunities are real, and one positive outcome of rescheduling for humanity will be more scientific medical research by healthcare professionals, institutions, and businesses which will untap the hidden health benefits cannabis holds.

From 1850 to 1936, cannabis and its extracts were a common form of medicine in the United States.

The natural healing plant was used for pain relief, stomach problems, women’s issues, therapeutic matters, and other ailments.

The movement for institutionalized healthcare, corporate greed, and American racism against Mexicans, African Americans, and Asians led to the taxation and eventual banning of cannabis which had once been legal throughout the United States.

The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 was a culmination of the work to demonize cannabis and to help certain American industries by eliminating the hemp/cannabis industries.

Imagine at one point when Henry Ford wanted to build a car using hemp materials and using a form of hemp fuel to operate the vehicle. If Ford’s vision had become a reality, we might not have the problem with fossil fuels and climate change that we have today.

And if William Hearst had not used his newspapers to spread lies and misinformation about cannabis, more trees and forests may have survived since his stories and articles assisted in the destruction of the hemp industry which competed directly with his forests, trees, and financial investments.

Men of industry and top government officials conspired to ruin and destroy hemp/cannabis, but the tide has now turned after many decades of false narratives.

Hemp by the way has over 10,000 uses including hempcrete to build houses. Imagine a house built primarily of hemp saving more trees and forests.

Whether cannabis will be legal in Hawaii one day remains to be seen. I do believe it is inevitable based on what has been happening around the country.

There are other substances and products – vodka, tequila, cigarettes, sugar, vapes, cigars, beer, and video games – on the market that are far more dangerous than cannabis in my opinion.

If and when cannabis is legalized for adult use, it should be handled the way cigarettes and alcohol are regulated and monitored. Safety and security for our children are paramount.

Adults should not use cannabis or any prescription drugs when driving or working, and cannabis should not be used in public areas. Usage in the privacy of one’s home is the ideal scenario, and if tax revenues can be generated, that’s a big plus.

For many, cannabis use is a matter of choice.

Law enforcement has another perspective, and it is the cannabis laws and policies enacted by white decision-makers that criminalized cannabis and used it to needlessly incarcerate immigrants and people of color.

The consequences and repercussions of these decisions still impact families and communities today in our nation.

Fortunes were made and grown by those who helped ban cannabis in the United States, and it’s about time for the attitude about cannabis to change.

Abuse of drugs or substances is wrong, and society must be properly educated and informed about the history, benefits, and potential of cannabis.

I believe cannabis is a wonder plant with healing properties, and the future of cannabis in Hawaii can have economic and financial rewards for Hawaii’s small farmers, home-based industries, and working families.

After President Biden’s rescheduling and declassification of cannabis to a Schedule III drug, the University of Hawaii system should take a serious look at the research and development of cannabis as a global medicine, an economic product, and a revenue source for local families.

Cannabis can be viewed as diversified agriculture.

With thousands of empty, fallow acres of land available in Hawaii, cannabis can be an important crop for our state.