Why are countries all around the world legalising cannabis?

As public attitude toward cannabis shifts, it appears that other countries will follow, raising concerns about how they will collaborate to manage cannabis usage and supply.

Have you ever wondered what has sparked the global legalisation of cannabis revolution?

Here are some of the key reasons why cannabis is being legalised all around the world.

In many nations, the drive toward legalisation began with a softening of public opinion due to cannabis's medical properties
People being refused potentially life-changing medicine in the United States and Canada had a huge influence on public opinion, which led to the push for medical marijuana legalisation. A similar shift in views has been observed in the United Kingdom. Billy Caldwell, a 12-year-old boy with severe epilepsy, was brought to the hospital in June after his medicinal cannabis oil was confiscated. A month later, Alfie Dingley, a seven-year-old boy with a rare form of epilepsy, was granted a special licence to consume cannabis oil. 

The UK government amended the legislation to enable physicians to prescribe cannabis products in response to high-profile campaigning. However, in the United Kingdom, the Home Office has stated that recreational cannabis usage would remain illegal, despite the fact that prominent officials such as former Conservative leader William Hague have signalled a change of heart. Mexico has also seen incidents of children being denied medicinal cannabis, although this has been prompted by the tremendous bloodshed of the country's drug war. Although marijuana accounts only a minor portion of drug cartel earnings, continuing to prohibit it is regarded as increasingly out of step with reality. Mexican officials told the United States that the fight against cannabis would be difficult to police now that the adjacent American state of California had legalised recreational use. 

Uruguay declared in 2012 that it will be the first country in the world to legalise recreational cannabis usage. The move was primarily intended to replace connections between organised crime and the cannabis sector with more responsible state control. Later that same year, voters in Washington State and Colorado became the first in the United States to endorse the drug's non-medical use legalisation. Under President Barack Obama, a critic of the US-led drug war, the federal government backed down from enforcing federal laws, essentially giving states permission to seek alternatives. Eight additional states including Washington, DC have subsequently backed recreational cannabis legalisation, and restrictions are being relaxed elsewhere. In 33 of the 50 states, the medication can be used for medicinal purposes. The judgement is still out on the consequences of legalisation on society and individual health in many areas, but there is little doubt that popular opinion and government policy have softened. With Canada legalising the sale, possession, and recreational use of cannabis, the storm is moving across the Americas. 

With nations all around the world heading toward some kind of legalisation, others are scrambling to catch up. Governments frequently want their farmers to have access to the potentially lucrative medicinal cannabis markets that are growing, as is the case in many regions of Latin America. Corporations have indicated an interest as well. For example, Altria, which controls cigarette brands including as Marlboro, has invested $1.86 billion (£1.46 billion) in a Canadian cannabis firm. As the United States has demonstrated, it is quite feasible that the medicinal trade could evolve into recreational sales over time, possibly opening up an even larger market. One immediate impediment is that recreational cannabis cannot be traded across borders. Only countries can import and export medicinal cannabis under a licence system overseen by the International Narcotics Control Board. Farmers in Morocco and Jamaica may have a reputation for growing cannabis, but they lack access to markets that domestic producers often struggle to provide, as was the case in Canada after legalisation.