But with uncertainty over what the Feds will do and have done as far as closing down dispensaries and arresting providers, many of these states are reluctant to follow the will of the people and are waiting for an "official" ruling to come down.
In the meantime, when we're talking about a multi-billion dollar industry, you have the opportunists lining up to feed at the money trough. You can bet big Pharma wants to substitute some synthetic crap for the real organic product, because that way they can control the profits and direct most of them to their own pockets. And their bed buddies, the insurance companies, will surely want to find a way to take their cut and decide who gets to have it and who doesn't.
Of course, there's also the alcohol industry who don't want to lose customers to a safer escape. They prefer it all come in liquid form and line their own pockets with the profits instead of sending it to their very real competition: marijuana growers.
There's even backlash from growers who are benefiting financially from the illegality of America's favorite escape.
And today I read that the Miracle-Gro company is trying to figure out how to tap into that huge market of smokers and growers.
Lost in all this are the people who depend on Medical Marijuana to get through the day. As the population ages, so does the need for a safe and non-addictive way to deal with the aches, pains, and serious illnesses of aging. Several retirement communities already have their own medical marijuana indoor and outdoor farms to provide for elderly residents whose lives are vastly improved by using weed.
It's time to take the politics and excessive profits off the table and begin to approach Medical Marijuana like adults instead of whiny money grubbing political whores. It's time to quit talking about it and start acting.
Become a lobbying force for legalization same as all the other interest groups, because in government it's not always about the big bucks. On the local level it is about voters, about the numbers needed to elect local representatives. Let those level of politicians know they have to please you to get your vote and you have a way in that exclusive door.
But it starts with you. Put down that bong and write that email, make that phone call, make that personal visit to your state Legislator, your governor, even your city council members. Once they know they need your vote to get elected and stay elected, your issue, the legalization of Medical Marijuana will become important to them as well.
