About time

Last week’s election came with triumphs and defeats alike. One outcome, in particular, I think shocked many was the legalization of not only medical but also recreational marijuana passing in South Dakota.

I am beside myself that medical marijuana passed in South Dakota, and I quite frankly think that it’s absurd that it hasn’t been passed federally yet. How is it possible that those with the same medical condition can or can’t get medical marijuana just because of the state they hold residency in?  

An acquaintance of mine, like many, fought through chemotherapy to beat cancer without the help of medical marijuana. She and her husband are not fortunate enough to purchase a second property to claim residency in a different state. 

Marijuana is the only thing that many going through chemotherapy can use to suppress their nausea enough to get some food in their system. If this isn’t reason enough for medical marijuana to be legalized federally, there are many more reasons. 

One of the most common uses of medical marijuana is for pain control. I personally think that using marijuana for pain control is a better alternative than narcotics. The United States is currently fighting a crisis of opioid overdoses and the legalization of medicinal marijuana could help. 

According to Peter Grinspoon, MD, a contributor to Harvard Health Publishing, marijuana is also a muscle relaxant therefore, in some cases lessens the tremors those with Parkinson’s disease have. 

He also said, “I have also heard of its use quite successfully for fibromyalgia, endometriosis, interstitial cystitis, and most other conditions where the final common pathway is chronic pain.” 

As you can see allowing medicinal marijuana to become federally legal would help in so many ways.  

I’m glad that South Dakotans have voted to make the use of this drug legal. There were also many opposed to the legalization of marijuana in the state as the vote came out pretty close. Medical marijuana passed with 69% of the vote and recreational marijuana passed with 53%.

I hope that in the coming years those who voted no can begin to see all of the wonderful things that medicinal marijuana can do for those around them and the state as a whole.