The impacts of marijuanas growing acceptance and use Over the last decade, marijuana has become much more acceptable within the medical field as a legitimate treatment for a variety of ailments. The drugs rising medicinal use has coincided with a softening in public opinion against its recreational use. Laws regulating marijuana in the U.S. and across the world are changing rapidly as it is increasingly being used for both medical and recreational purposes. The impacts upon the people and places where the drug has been made legally available are significant and profound. Marijuana is the most commonly used name for the hemp plant, whose botanical name is Cannabis sativa. Hemp is an annual plant, normally dioecious with male and female flowers developing on separate plants. ...