The Marijuana Movement Gets A High-Profile Supporter

Oscar Winner Morgan Freeman came out in support of marijuana legalization this month, saying that the drug helped him cope with lingering pain from a car accident in 2008. Freeman's support for marijuana legalization could be a major boost for the campaign to reclassify the drug at a federal level as the actor is a well respected part of the entertainment industry.

In an interview with

, Freeman commented on his own experience with marijuana, saying that he takes the drug in several different forms including smoking and consuming THC infused edible products. He claims that marijuana is the only treatment that has relieved fibromyalgia pain in his arm stemming from a car accident seven years ago. He also commented on a growing debate about whether or not marijuana can alleviate the symptoms of some types of childhood epilepsy saying the evidence showing cannabis can be an effective treatment should be enough to "legalize it across the board."

Freeman isn't the only one who believes in marijuana legalization. Polls show that the number US voters in support of legalizing marijuana in some capacity is quickly growing. Despite that, the federal government has maintained a hands-off policy, allowing states to make their own rules regarding the drug but keeping marijuana on the list of Schedule I drugs with no medicinal uses.

The trouble with the diverging laws is that it hinders the medical marijuana industry's capacity for advancement. While more and more studies are being conducted regarding marijuana's effectiveness to treat a variety of illnesses, the federal government's classification makes it more difficult for scientists to properly test the drug and evaluate its side effects.