The Marijuana-Legalization Conundrum
Welcome to Up for Debate. Each week, Conor Friedersdorf rounds up timely conversations and solicits reader responses to one thought-provoking question. Later, he publishes some thoughtful replies. Sign up for the newsletter here.
Replies have been edited for length and clarity.
Last week, I asked readers for their views about marijuana legalization.
Laurie laments the knowledge lost as a result of prohibition:
It is terribly sad that marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance. Decades passed during which it was very difficult for scientists to study the benefits of pot.
I am a senior citizen. When my husband became terminally ill, I saw how much marijuana helped him cope with his cancer. I discovered that only a tiny bite of an indica-strain-cannabis edible helped me, too, and allowed me the soundest sleep I had experienced for many years. Since my husband’s death, I have used edibles and sublingual THC before bed with some regularity. My only regret is that I have developed a tolerance for it; I believe it is safer than Ambien and other sleep medications.
Sadly, there seems to be a dearth of studies to inform people how much, how often, and what variety of marijuana can safely be used for sleep and anxiety. We already know that CBD
