Medicinal cannabis in the US is gaining more momentum every day. Despite the drop-off in sales after all the panic-buying when the pandemic started, the industry is growing rapidly.
Medicinal cannabis seeds in the US are selling like hotcakes, as people are looking to grow their own plants and always have a dose at the ready. In the states where medicinal cannabis is legal, those who have a prescription can cultivate cannabis at home.
Due to the increasing legalization and availability of medicinal cannabis, its future in the US is looking bright. I can already see many trends on the horizon that will transform the industry as we know it.
Here are my top three predictions for 2021.
Researchers Will Discover New Uses of Medicinal Cannabis
It seems that researchers are always working at full steam when learning more about this unusual plant. They keep discovering new properties that inspire new uses and drive more people to try it.
Not so long ago, researchers have found that cannabis may have anti-cancer properties, which was a ground-breaking discovery. Although cannabinoids like CBD can’t cure cancer, they can help alleviate the symptoms of the disease.
They can significantly reduce nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and minimize cancer-related pain, thanks to their analgesic properties.
Anti-cancer effects vary from one cancer type and the dose of cannabis to the next, but they have proven effective in many cases.
Medicinal cannabis is also widely used in the US to treat multiple sclerosis symptoms, depression, anxiety, PTSD, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS, and epilepsy.
Like cancer, it can’t cure HIV/AIDS, but it can help reduce vomiting and nausea. It can boost appetite and prevent anorexia that HIV/AIDS patients often develop.
These and other uses have inspired pharmaceutical companies to develop CBD-derived medications, such as the FDA-approved Epidiolex, for treating seizures.
I firmly believe that cannabis has much more to offer than we are currently aware of. Perhaps we won’t find its new uses as early as 2021, but I do believe they’re right around the corner. We just need to look a bit closer.
More Doctors Will Prescribe Cannabis as Treatment
Researchers keep publishing new findings regarding the potential health benefits of cannabis. Thanks to their studies, people all over the world are becoming more aware of the fact that cannabinoids may improve their quality of life.
Many doctors in all the US states where medicinal cannabis is legal are already prescribing it to patients who may need it. Given that we keep learning more about the benefits, more doctors will certainly start prescribing cannabis and CBD-based products as a treatment for various medical conditions.
Many patients even prefer it to traditional medications, which can often lead to addiction. For instance, a lot of people use opioids and other addictive medications to treat chronic pain. They won’t have to if their doctor is allowed to devise a cannabis-based treatment legally.
And since CBD from cannabis is non-addictive and has only mild potential side effects, there will be no reason not to prescribe CBD-based medications.
If this prediction turns out to be true, cannabis dispensaries throughout the US will generate more sales than ever.
More States Will Legalize Medicinal Cannabis
Currently, medicinal cannabis is legal in 33 states in the US and Washington, D.C. It’s legal for recreational use in 11 states and Washington, D.C.
Many states, such as Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and New York, have also decriminalized cannabis. However, it remains legal only for medical use.
Virginia has recently decriminalized it as well, but it allows only CBD oil use.
The legalization movement is growing stronger with each new day, and there are many reasons to believe it will keep doing so. Public support for legalization is increasing, precisely because of all those known benefits of cannabinoids.
Still, some states are moving quite slowly towards decriminalization and legalization of medicinal cannabis. It may be years until all the 50 states enact medicinal marijuana bills, but we’re bound to see more of them join the movement in 2021.
Final Thoughts
The future shines bright for medicinal cannabis in the US. More and more CBD products keep hitting the market, and more and more states legalize the plant for both medical and recreational use.
There’s a lot of support from both individuals and organizations, and we are more than likely to witness significant changes in the industry. Medicinal cannabis sales are likely to go through the roof, as we will see a more diverse range of consumers looking to experience the plant’s benefits.
What do you think? How feasible are these predictions? Do you have some of your own? Feel free to share them with the community!