Marijuana happens to be one of  the most used drugs here in Kentucky and many people are left wondering, “Why has marijuana not been legalized?” One of these people is State Senator Perry Clark, who has been pushing to have medical marijuana legalized in Kentucky for years. So far all his attempts have remained unsuccessful. Now he is taking it one step further. Not only does he want it legalized for medicinal purposes, he’s pushing to have it legalized for recreational use too. Clark was quoted telling WDBR News, “It’s time to leap boldly into the future.”

The law would make marijuana use legal for anyone 21 years of age or older. It would allow for possession of up to one ounce on your person and would allow someone to cultivate up to five plants at a time. Just like alcohol, smoking in public places or driving under the influence would get a person fined and possibly arrested. Someone under the age of 21 would only be allowed to obtain marijuana if it is prescribed by a licensed physician.

Studies have shown that marijuana has many purposes other than getting a good buzz. A study done by Robert J. DeLorenzo of Virginia Commonwealth University suggests that marijuana may help calm seizures in people with epilepsy. In the test, he gave marijuana extracts to epileptic rats. The rats’ seizures stopped completely for 10 hours. This is due to a component in the drug called Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The THC will bind to the brain cells responsible for controlling excitability and regulating relaxation.

Another study found that marijuana may also stop the spread of cancer cells. The California Pacific Medical Center discovered that the component cannabidiol turns off a gene called Id-1, which is responsible for spreading breast cancer cells. When the cells were treated with cannabidiol, it decreased the Id-1 expressions and made them less aggressive spreaders. This test was not performed on humans, but scientists say that it will be soon.

Legalizing marijuana can be good for our economy as well. KY4MM estimates that kentucky could tax the plants and see a revenue boost of 13 million dollars from the sale of 50,000 pounds of medical marijuana. That is a number that is starting to turn more than a few heads. According to a study done by NerdWallet, a personal finance website in San Francisco, tax revenues from tobacco have earned Kentucky 22 million dollars. The study shows that tax revenues on marijuana would profit about 2.5 million dollars every month!

Regardless of all its benefits there are still people out there who disagree with the legalization of marijuana. Some believe it’s a gateway drug and can influence our young to do stupid things. Others disagree because they know or have heard of someone dying due driving while high. And then of course there’s the risk of synthetic marijuana. So where does all this leave us?
It leaves us to make a decision. Should marijuana be legalized? Do the pros outweigh the cons? And will this help lift Kentucky up or knock us down? These are a few decisions we will all eventually have to make at a point in our lives. So, do you think marijuana should be legal in Kentucky?