New Year’s Cannabis Resolutions 2016

2015 was a banner year for cannabis—many places legalized recreationally or medicinally, and places that had already legalized made cannabis more available, increased access and developed new products. We started to understand more behind the science of how cannabis helps people, and proposed de- or rescheduling cannabis. But if you thought this year was great, we are just getting started. Here are a few goals for 2016—let’s all work together to make sure we check every single item off our New Year’s Resolution list!

Get Rid of the Schedule I Status for Cannabis

It’s becoming clear that the Schedule I status for cannabis needs to be done away with if we want to move forward with scientific research. In 2015, a group of U.S. senators proposed that we re-schedule cannabis as Schedule II—a substance that has some medical value—so that tests can be done to determine why and how it helps people with conditions like chronic seizures. Some people didn’t like this because they wanted to make the substance completely legal—but either way it works out, it’s clear that there is no reason cannabis should be scheduled as something with no medical properties.

Legalization in California

The Sunshine State has been nearly-legal for a long time, and the great access they grant medical patients and variety of products they offer makes them one of the states at the forefront of the cannabis industry. “California was the first state to adopt a medical marijuana law and it inspired states around the country to adopt similar laws,” Mason Tvert, head of the Marijuana Policy Project, told Time Magazine. “It’s a state that carries a lot of weight nationwide. It’s a massive population center and it’s a very diverse state.” If this state legalizes, that could equal a lot of the money, scientific advances and huge strides in general for the cannabis industry.

Medical Access Everywhere for Extreme or Chronic Conditions

As much as we’d all like to have cannabis fully legal in the U.S., it’s clear that it may take a while for certain states to warm up to the idea of recreational cannabis, or even of readily-available medical cannabis that can be prescribed for many ailments. However, there are people out there, including children, with severe, chronic conditions like epilepsy that only respond to cannabis. We would like to see those individuals get access to medicine regardless of where they live. Pennsylvania just legalized medical cannabis for serious conditions, and Virginia now allows people with severe conditions to import CBD oil and use it. In 2016, it would be great if everyone in the U.S. who suffers from these serious conditions has equal access to the medicine they need.

Legalization in the South-West and North-East

Yep, that’s right—right now these are the two areas of the country that are leaning the furthest towards legalization. In addition to California, Nevada and Arizona are considering legalization in 2016. Polls now show that most Americans support legal cannabis in general, but although Arizona will be voting on this issue, it’s a mainly conservative state. Arizona could go either way, but with any luck they may just take the leap and fully legalize. Nevada, although another conservative-leaning state, is also putting legalization on the ballot. “Voters will have the opportunity to end marijuana prohibition next year and replace it with a policy that actually makes sense,” stated Tvert. “Law enforcement officials will be able to spend their time addressing more serious crimes, and adults will no longer be punished simply for using marijuana.”

In New England, both Maine and Massachusetts are considering legalization. Maine already decriminalized in their major cities, and are notorious for voting liberally, even favoring Ron Paul as their political candidate one year. “There’s been an ongoing public dialogue,” Tvert told Time. “I’ve always believed that the more people learn about marijuana and the fact that it’s not as dangerous as they’ve been led to believe, the more likely they are to support treating it that way.” In Massachusetts, cannabis is medical already, and polls are supporting the idea that most residents favor full legalization.

Better Access to Cannabis in Legal States

Lastly, let us hope for better access to cannabis in legal states. Although cannabis is legal in Colorado, for example, many counties still don’t allow dispensaries, meaning that access to the product is limited mostly to those in urban areas. And some urban areas don’t allow smoking lounges, meaning the only legal place to consume cannabis is inside the home instead of out on the town. Let’s hope 2016 brings us new products, access and areas to smoke, as well as better quality products for everyone!