Cannabis is said to be the most widely used illegal substance in the world, and despite the war against this plant it has been winning for the past several decades, with cannabis use estimated to have increased at least 60 percent or more across the world in the last decade or so.

According to a 2019 World Drug Report, it's estimated that some 200 million people consume cannabis regularly.

A growing number of those users are also elderly patients, with more younger people today allegedly opting to stay away, use has been down with minors. Along with the increasing wave of legalization we have seen that police still target and arrest cannabis users and growers etc.

More people were arrested in 2016 for cannabis than there were individuals arrested for murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault combined.

That is a lot of resources and time being spent on victimless crimes, jails that are being filled with non-violent offenders, because of their controversial affinity to grow or consume cannabis.

The drug war is especially devastating for families, by fueling poverty, disease, and stigma.

If the state wants to truly help those individuals who are suffering with drug addictions, then treating them as patients rather than criminals would be the first start. They could also opt to reduce restrictions and laws surrounding drug policy so that these individuals can have a better chance at healing, the reversal of those restrictions will also help to fix the problems associated with drug use like disease and stigma etc.

Cannabis has been shown to have potential to help with healing for opioid and other addictions, even alcoholism, and could play a detrimental role in the healing of millions of people. To help matters, the state should seek to get out of the way and allow the people to peacefully exercise their natural rights to medicate.

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