We are living in a golden era for cannabis in the United States, but did you know that Canada and Uruguay are the only two nations that have fully legalized the consumption of cannabis nationwide? As we speak, even the USA still needs to rise to that level, with cannabis still being illegal on a federal level. The truth is that the full legalization of cannabis across the world is still a long way away.
But why should we care about legalization in other countries, and how could it affect the marijuana scene in the USA? The answer is simple: globalization. What do we mean by that? Well simply put, the more people are doing a specific activity around the world, the more fleshed out that scene becomes. Today we take a look at the benefits of global cannabis legalization across the world.
1. Better Scientific Research
In the United States, studying drugs takes permission from the Institutional Review Board as well as applying to the DEA. This leads to a fairly lengthy process, which is why scientists are often reluctant to study certain drugs and psychedelics, despite a fairly popular demand for doing so.
So what would global legalization achieve in that respect? It is simple: the process of applying for cannabis-related research would be less complicated and convoluted, leading to scientists being more inclined to study with fewer cogs in their wheels. Furthermore, international scientific collaborations would be easily facilitated, leading to faster research with less one-sided scientific studies.
2. More Diversity & Better Products
The increase in global cannabis science wouldn’t be so important if it didn’t lead to more diversity and generally speaking leading to better marijuana across the world. This is exactly why global legalization needs to take place. These days different marijuana scientists can work together, but not always in their respective countries.
Wouldn’t it be better if let’s say the French were able to develop their cannabis strains in the same way they have meticulously developed wine over the past hundreds of years? Speaking of European countries, what about the legalization of marijuana in Germany? Seeing the high quality of the German-made Volcano vaporizer, would you not be interested to see what other incredible features of engineering they could bring to the recreational cannabis world?
To make it short: different countries could bring their unique identity into the cannabis scene in a more forward way, without things being so ‘cloak and dagger’ because of the veil of illegality still shadowing the whole scene. This would lead to better cannabis solutions which would benefit the consumers, both medically and recreationally.
3. Less Strain On the Global Criminal Justice System
Most prisons around the world are overpopulated, that is nothing new. What is new about cannabis legalization is that it will avoid locking people up for minor offenses of possession, freeing valuable prison space and saving time and resources for the criminal justice system.
If this were to be a global event, the criminal justice system would also benefit from it simply by being able to compare the effects and results of legalization between different countries, depicting a global picture with trends being much easier to understand and act upon.
Not everything about legalization will be positive, and being able to learn from and compare with other countries is what will help to develop a consistent and stable cannabis scene across the world.
4. Better Pricing
From a strictly consumer point of view, prices always get better with competition. A few companies having a monopoly can dictate high prices, but this changes as soon as real competitors step into the arena. As long as companies aren’t being challenged, they are happy to command a high price.
Bringing international competition always brings perspective from a price point of view. Someone will always find a way to do what you do cheaper, leading businesses to have to adapt and review their costs. Plus let’s face it: if the cannabis business can become global, then its growth and distribution across the world won’t need to be so centralized, which will bring the costs of production down. This saving could benefit cannabis businesses and could be passed onto the consumer.
5. Open Borders
Wouldn’t you love to be able to take your marijuana with you every time you are traveling to another country? The idea certainly sounds nice, from both a medical and recreational point of view. The truth is that traveling is made difficult when you cannot take your cannabis with you, often leading to a lesser appreciation of your time spent abroad.
If cannabis was legalized globally, cannabis would just be a commodity. Very akin to cigarettes and alcohol, you would be able to transport your goods with you when commuting internationally on a plane, with cannabis goods available to be purchased in the ‘duty-free’ section of the airport. This is certainly something to look forward to.
6. A Better Global Understanding
Our final point is that the global legalization of cannabis would take it away from being seen as the illegal drug that it currently is. What does that mean exactly? It’s simple: people might not see it as this ‘hippie-drug’ and instead acknowledge the good that cannabis and hemp-derived products can bring to the people and our very own planet.
This means taking THC, CBD and all other active components of cannabis for what they are and using those to develop solutions that will make our earth a better place to live. As long as cannabis is illegal, it stays hidden behind a cloak of illegality, with campaigns like ‘Reefer Madness’ still to this day clouding people’s view on what is the truest miracle drug our world has ever seen.
Of course, globalization can also bring in some negative aspects on the table too, but this article mainly focuses on the good. With things as they currently are, lots of smaller businesses can flourish and thrive, but will this still be the same once global legalization takes over? Will big businesses and corporations take over and dominate the scene, focussing on the quantity of produce rather than quality and provenance?
We will find out as we will take a look at the less desirable effects of cannabis globalization in a future article. In the meanwhile, are you enjoying the benefits of legalization in your state and country, or is this something that you are still waiting for? Would you be excited about expanding your horizons and trying weed from across the globe? Let us know in the comments below.
