nov 5, 1996 - Proposition 215

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On November 5th, 1996 Proposition 215 was passed by the people of California. This proposition legalized the medicinal use of marijuana if it is prescribed by a licensed doctor. In this respect, marijuana is allowed to help treat any medical condition, such as cancer, anorexia, migraines, and AIDS. Although, the most common use for medical marijuana is chronic pain which is much safer than using prescribed pain medicines such as Oxycontin. While it has not been scientifically proven by the federal government that marijuana can help with medical problems, some research has shown it can kill cancer cells and slow tumor growth, lower anxiety, reduce chronic pain, relax muscles of patients with MS, and control nausea. A recent study has also shown that a CBD dominant strain has prevented epiliptic seizures in children. It is important to note that these are great discoveries with the limited research that has been done, and if more research was done there would be even greater discoveries. The reason for its limited research is mainly due to marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drug, meaning the federal government cannot conduct research on it or the research that can be done is restricted. It has been incredibly hard, as a result of this, for researchers to complete studies on it. With the legalization of cannabis, it can significantly help the research and studies for marijuana.

When Proposition 215 was passed, the public vote was close. It was 55.58% yes and 44.42% no. Twenty years later in 2016 the vote was different while passing Proposition 64. 57.13% voted yes and 42.87% voted no. The legalization of medical marijuana influenced the legalization of recreational marijuana, and there is a notable shift in public opinion of marijuana itself between these two votes. People were hesitant to the idea of medical marijuana, but once it was legalized and people realized it was not a harmful drug, people were more likely to vote for its recreational use to be legalized too.

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