No mercy for marijuana

[webfact]

No mercy for marijuana

 

 

WASHINGTON: -- The US Drug Enforcement Administration has denied requests to loosen the classification of marijuana as a dangerous drug with no medical use.

 

The DEA says there is “no substantial evidence” that marijuana should be removed from its classification.

 

Why have they taken this decision?

It is the DEA’s response to a 2011 petition by two former state governors who had urged federal agencies to re-classify marijuana as a drug with accepted medical uses.

 

The DEA says it has asked health officials for a scientific and medical evaluation.

 

“The Department of Health and Human Services concluded that marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no accepted medical use in the United States and lacks an acceptable level of safety for use, even under medical supervision,” the DEA said in a letter.

 

Reclassification

For decades, marijuana has been classified as a “Schedule I” drug, on a par with heroin.

 

The government has repeatedly rejected appeals over the years to reclassify marijuana.

 

Loosening the classification could encourage scientific study of the drug, which is being used to treat diseases in several US states despite little proof of its effectiveness.

 

Is it banned in all states?

No.

 

Twenty-five states have sanctioned some forms of marijuana use for medical purposes.

 

Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and the District of Columbia have gone even further.

 

They allow its recreational use for adults.

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-08-12

[helpisgood]

“The Department of Health and Human Services concluded that marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no accepted medical use in the United States and lacks an acceptable level of safety for use, even under medical supervision,”

 

How about alcohol and nicotine? 

[adhd]

mean while, the whole medical industry & their pills have tens of thousands of deaths on their concience, each year 

[Ulysses G.]

Stop this stupid drug war. It has been a complete failure.

[GuestHouse]

18 minutes ago, Ulysses G. said:

Stop this stupid drug war. It has been a complete failure.

 

Hold on, the Filipinos haven't finished learning their lessons about what great fun a 'war on drugs' can be. 

 

 

[tails]

LOL guilty until proven innocent... tell me again how they proved cigarettes are ok?

[Rancid]

Was reading that the humanitarians over in Big Pharma were trying to create a patentable version of the active ingredient. Of course they were the ones largely behind having many drugs banned so they could get their products market dominance.

 

Then we have the GM poisoners also trying to come up with a GM version!

[HerbalEd]

Regarding "has no accepted medical use in the United States"

 

What a farce. Actually the US Government itself holds several patents for the medical use of marijuana.

[HerbalEd]

1 hour ago, adhd said:

mean while, the whole medical industry & their pills have tens of thousands of deaths on their concience, each year 

What conscience?

[Srikcir]

20 minutes ago, HerbalEd said:

Regarding "has no accepted medical use in the United States"

 

What a farce. Actually the US Government itself holds several patents for the medical use of marijuana.

Patent No. US6630507 titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants” awarded to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in October 2003. The patent claims exclusive rights on the use of cannabinoids for treating neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and stroke, and diseases caused by oxidative stress, such as heart attack, Crohn’s disease, diabetes and arthritis. But the patent only involves non-psychoactive cannabinoids (both synthetic and natural) - meaning it does not recognize chemical recreational use (getting high) of marijuana.

[bendejo]

If this kind of stuff is important to you move to a 'green' state if returning to the US.  It's been a long way from nickel bags to seeing billboards like this.

 

 

 

 

[SOTIRIOS]

...but artificial flavors and colors.....chemicals.....pesticides....vaccines....pharmaceutics...

 

..responsible for myriad deaths, birth defects and other side effects...etc....costing billions if not trillions a year....are okay......

 

....shall we ask whom they represent....???

Edited August 12, 2016 by SOTIRIOS
spelling

[williamgeorgeallen]

weed is far safer than alcohol and no worse than nicotine. not my cup of tea but i get angry at all my taxpayer money in nz going to try to remove the plants, prosecute the growers/users. waste the courts time and fill up the jails.  

[GuestHouse]

The undeniable fact is, the US federal government has allowed state governments to legalise the use of cannabis within the jurisdiction of their own states. 

 

 

Those states that have legalised the use of cannabis have not fallen into dens of evil and iniquity .. but tax takes are up. 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/a-year-after-marijuana-legalisation-in-colorado-everythings-fine-confirm-police-9989723.html

 

 

No negative impacts detected across society and tax takes up.... You absolutely know which way this is going. 

[Ulic]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The DEA says there is “no substantial evidence” that marijuana should be removed from its classification.

This may be true, but it is also true that Marijuana should never been classed at the level it is.

[Inn Between]

The demonization of cannabis is a BIG part of the whole law enforcement and incarceration industry in America, where it has one of the highest prison populations per capita in the world. Of the 2 million+ people in American jails, drug crimes are the biggest reason in the federal system. Can you imagine what would would happen to the (un)employment situation if there was suddenly no need for many jails, guards, cops, etc.?  American companies have successfully lobbied the US government over the years to allow most jobs to be outsourced to low-GDP nations, so keeping thousands employed in fighting the Quixotic war on drugs is very important, even if it is more harmful to society.

 

Here's an interesting chart -- a little old but still basically true now. Had to laugh that Russia and Thailand were 2 and 3. Is that why Russians liked coming here (before the collapse of the ruble)?  

 

Edited August 12, 2016 by Inn Between

[phycokiller]

amazing that the drug enforcement agency also gets to make the drug laws. no surprise that it doesnt want to put itself out of business

[55Jay]

4 minutes ago, phycokiller said:

amazing that the drug enforcement agency also gets to make the drug laws. no surprise that it doesnt want to put itself out of business

I was thinking the very same thing, then did some reading on the somewhat convoluted process of drug scheduling and turns out they are the group to petition for a change, Health and Human Services (HHS), etc.....  They can't change the law of course, but internally set policy within the legal framework. 

[Srikcir]

2 minutes ago, phycokiller said:

amazing that the drug enforcement agency also gets to make the drug laws. no surprise that it doesnt want to put itself out of business

DEA cannot make laws but can make regulations. Congress can make laws and settle the issue of medical use of marijuna by mandating such use. But obviously Congress has not.

[perdido]

5 hours ago, adhd said:

mean while, the whole medical industry & their pills have tens of thousands of deaths on their concience, each year 

...ah , but DO they...?

 

[Neurath]

It's just plain insanity that we incarcerate so many people for using or possessing this. The damage done is shameful. What a waste of resources and a waste of lives - those incarcerated and the families of those incarcerated. And all for what? 

[thaibeachlovers]

I'm undecided on this. No doubt MJ as it is today is far more potent than what was used back in the 60s. I have an ex friend that smoked a lot and he is a nut case now. Apparently that is not unusual in those that smoke a lot. However, to say someone is a criminal because they use a drug that does NOT cause users to become violent or kill them is IMO irrational.

[phycokiller]

3 hours ago, Srikcir said:

DEA cannot make laws but can make regulations. Congress can make laws and settle the issue of medical use of marijuna by mandating such use. But obviously Congress has not.

yes, much more accurately  put then me, but surely its a conflict of interest for the DEA to make the regulations that it enforces?

[phycokiller]

2 hours ago, Neurath said:

It's just plain insanity that we incarcerate so many people for using or possessing this. The damage done is shameful. What a waste of resources and a waste of lives - those incarcerated and the families of those incarcerated. And all for what? 

drug laws are nothing but a form of fascism, but a lot of people like a little fascism in their lives

[Srikcir]

9 minutes ago, phycokiller said:

yes, much more accurately  put then me, but surely its a conflict of interest for the DEA to make the regulations that it enforces?

Regulations are issued as the nuts & bolts to carry out the laws. So long as the regulations do not conflict with or countermand the laws, there is no conflict of interest. Congress determined the scheduling of drugs and substances which DEA is enforcing through its regulations. The Catch-22 is that the research necessary to provide the scientific foundation to change those schedules depends on Congressional action. If Congress favors the pharmaceutical industry in production of noncellular origin drugs, such research will not be funded.

[Credo]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I'm undecided on this. No doubt MJ as it is today is far more potent than what was used back in the 60s. I have an ex friend that smoked a lot and he is a nut case now. Apparently that is not unusual in those that smoke a lot. However, to say someone is a criminal because they use a drug that does NOT cause users to become violent or kill them is IMO irrational.

How dangerous or benign a drug is depends a lot on the person taking it.   It is a drug and as such it will affect people differently, just like some people have adverse reactions to  pharmaceutical drugs.

It's not just the drug which may be a danger, but it is the person using it.   Many people who are heavy users of drugs, including alcohol, are self-medicating a condition that the drug really can't treat.   

[fasteddie]

" high potential for abuse ".....how's that then, we gonna eat or sleep ourselves to death?

It's absolutely criminal to deny it's medical attributes in the face of overwhelming proof.

[arjunadawn]

I agree with many here: its absurd to assert smoking pot is the same as heroin. Besides the insurmountable hypocrisy of mediating entire generations and doping up with alcohol approval all who are not on psychotropics, there is little to support that the current cultural "Operating System" that governs America has a <deleted> clue about the nature of reality, and especially individual choices.

 

I do not smoke pot and have not since a kid (and I do not drink of smoke). But this pot prohibition, against adults of majority age, seems more like a coercive tool to keep selling an Operating System of behavior and perception of reality that is flawed, and oppressive. If an adult wants to smoke pot, let them.

[DogNo1]

I can understand why the federal government would be wary what with epidemic of heroin addiction sweeping the country.  See the latest 60 Minutes special on heroin addiction.   Actually, although Marijuana is being kept as a Schedule 1 drug, the amount of available for medical research is being expanded.

[Ulysses G.]

Heroin users can easily function in society, if they can get as much of the drug as they need and take reasonable doses. It is quite easy to function on and does not damage the body if ingested in a safe manner.

 

The Federal government has made methadone legal with a prescription and it is MUCH more addictive and dangerous than heroin. An addict can die from methadone withdrawals and it takes weeks to kick it completely. That is not true of heroin.  The answer is to legalize it.

Edited August 12, 2016 by Ulysses G.