It should be noted that this article is for information purposes only and should not, under any circumstances, be accepted as legal advice or health advice.

If there was ever an area that talked about medical marijuana on a regular basis, it would be California. Not only is this a state in which marijuana is celebrated and condemned, but also it is a state that is constantly trying to help medical patients get the medication they need. While the state laws are still in flux, and some areas are more lenient than others, California is a great beginning for discussion of the future of medical marijuana.

Decriminalisation and Society

In some areas of California, the use of marijuana has been decriminalized. What this means is that some places are simply not prosecuting those who have been caught with a certain amount of marijuana. While this doesn't apply to those who are using medical marijuana legally, this does bring up an interesting point. If marijuana is causing too many valuable police resources to be used up, why not extend the decriminalization in order to help those people who would have a medical card to use marijuana if they could afford the doctor visit? Instead of having to go to a doctor, they could rest easy, knowing they could take care of their health with medical marijuana, without having to face legal issues. Many countries have adopted a decriminaliszation attitude toward marijuana and have noticed that issues with drugs have begun to decrease in some areas.

Trying to Pass Marijuana Use into Law

Recently, California attempted to pass the use of marijuana into law, but the majority of voters turned it down. Even those who support medical marijuana had an issue with the wording of the law. The ballot issue stated that people who had less than one ounce of marijuana on their person could not be charged with a crime, nor could growers who grew within certain limitations. But the problem with this is that growers who grew within the restrictions would almost certainly grow more than the legal limit. In addition, the federal law against marijuana would still be in place, so those who possessed marijuana might still get into trouble.

Why California is Confused

California is a state that supports medical marijuana in many areas, and a majority of the state feels that taxing marijuana for public use might help the 2010 budget crisis. However, this is also a large state with a number of different counties and a Republican governor (Schwarzenegger). There are many debates and concerns about whether the benefits of legalizing marijuana would actually be helpful. Some people are concerned that if the prisons don’t get as many offenders for drug use and possession that the prison system will not make as much money. In addition, since the country as a whole is not for legalizing marijuana, it seems there is a larger discussion that needs to happen.

While California is progressive in many ways, medical marijuana has a way to go. Yes, it is being used and supported, but supporting marijuana fully for private use is the next natural step – and California seems poised to be the leader in this issue.