Morgan Freeman Desires the Legalization of Marijuana

It has been made widely publicized that Morgan Freeman has a very clear desire to see the distribution of marijuana legalized. He has been using the drug’s medicinally for the past seven years. The actor was injured in a terrible car accident that left him with a fractured arm, and said fracture extended to his elbow and shoulder. When Freeman was interviewed by The Daily Beast, he said that marijuana is the only drug that alleviates his discomfort.

Freeman laughed during the interview as he went on to explain how he came to use marijuana. The veteran actor said that his wife was the one who initially got him to partake. When asked how he takes marijuana into his system, he said however it can be, whether he eats or drinks it, smokes it, or even via snorting. Freeman believes that the movement that is working to get marijuana legalized is only going to gain more and more ground. He goes so far as to compare it to alcohol, which has no actual medical value for people, and yet, it is in massive supply.

Morgan Freeman’s desire to have the drug legalized is not only because of his own necessity for it, but for the teenagers nationwide who have used marijuana to combat grand mal seizures. Teenagers have learned that the drug reduces the number of episodes and their strength by a considerable degree. Freeman wholeheartedly believes that is enough of a reason to have it approved as a medicine in all 50 states.

The actor also gave a brief history lesson to show just how critical the movement is. He brought up how back in 1969, the people who attended Woodstock were left to their own devices and there were no issues to speak of. However, 30 years later, when marijuana became a problem, the festival was fraught with riots.

The Daily Beast was not the only group that had words with Freeman about his stance on the marijuana debate. In 2012, he sat down with the Newsweek magazine and delivered similar responses. He believes the law that makes marijuana illegal is quite possibly the dumbest law to be had, especially when he cited the Woodstock riots. He thinks that it is a money-wasting law to pump zillions of dollars into when people will still smoke the medical plant regardless. He says the nation should instead capitalize on the product to make those same zillions, claiming it would be no different from selling liquor.

Outside of his position on marijuana, Freeman is still making films. His latest romantic comedy, 5 Flights Up, in which he co-stars with Diane Keaton, has just recently entered theaters. He continues his career without fail, even with the pain that fibromyalgia causes him. Although Freeman has noted that the injury does occasionally cause him excruciating pain, he does not let it get in his way. Since the car accident, he has starred in great films such as RED in 2010, The Dark Knight Rises in 2012, and The Lego Movie in 2014. Through each of those films, he has used marijuana to ease his pain and deliver incredible acting.

Morgan Freeman resides in New York, a state that has legalized marijuana, but with their strictness on the matter, not a single dispensary has yet to be opened, making it harder for the actor, and others like him to get the medicine they desire and need. The battle for marijuana to join the prescription counter at pharmacies nationwide is ongoing, but one way or another, one force has to give way. And if history is any indication at all, it may just be better to legalize the drug.

By Matthew Austin Bowers

Sources:
Us Magazine
Daily Mail
UPI
Huffington Post

Photo by Christian Cordova – Creativecommons Flickr License