No Reschedule For Marijuana

[matt79]

POLITICS

U.S. Won’t Reschedule Marijuana, But Will Open Up Research Opportunities

The U.S. government won’t reclassify marijuana, but will allow more research.

4 hours ago

 

 

BAZ RATNER / REUTERS

The U.S. government will announce on Thursday that it will allow more research into marijuana but rejected requests to loosen the classification of the substance as a dangerous drug with no medical use, sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

 

The decision, to be announced by the Drug Enforcement Administration, is an answer to a 2011 petition filed by two former state governors who asked federal agencies to re-classify marijuana as a drug with accepted medical uses, said two people who asked not to be identified because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.

 

The Drug Enforcement Administration declined to comment and the Food and Drug Administration did not immediately respond.

 

But the DEA in an e-mail sent by its public affairs division to stakeholders on Wednesday said the agency would be making “important announcements regarding marijuana related topics” on Thursday.

 

For decades, marijuana has been classified as a “Schedule I” drug with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” on par with heroin.

 

The expected change would show that the Obama administration is open to expanding legitimate research into pot’s effects, even though the administration and Congress appears to be far from endorsing its broader use or legalization.

 

Twenty-five states have sanctioned some forms of marijuana use for medical purposes. Four states - Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado - and the District of Columbia have gone even further, allowing its recreational use for adults. (http://bit.ly/1udxSs4)

 

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Sandra Maler and Richard Chang)

 

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[Scarlet_Begonias]

Considering the UN made the drug scheduling why would you think that the Alphabet Agency would change it?

[matt79]

Well I never thought they would. Just posting the latest news

[Scarlet_Begonias]

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 April 2016 

 

https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N16/110/24/PDF/N1611024.pdf?OpenElement

 

Main Page for the April meeting.

 

http://www.unodc.org/ungass2016/

[+washtenaut]

I thought they would reschedule to 2 to allow more research.  It seems they are planning to allow more research but are supposedly keeping the 1.

 

I am disappointed with this news.  The only hope I hold for a silver lining is that this stonewalling by the DEA may spur action by Congress or by Obama.  It is hard for me to imagine that they have not at least acknowledged that cannabis has medicinal value

[+washtenaut]

Thanks Zap.  Yeah, from what I read, which was certainly not all, they did telegraph this decision, didn't they?

[knucklehead bob]

"There really are only two choices here for the Federal government: schedule 2 or deschedule. Schedule 2 doesn't harmonize with Colorado, Washington, Oregon, or Alaska that have already legalized cannabis for any use, or even the states that have decriminalized: Nebraska, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Ohio. Deschedule comes along with some sort of Federal regulation or oversight, almost certainly, of state law and regulations, ATFE-style.

 

But at least we'll be rid of the DEA at that point. Crossing my fingers that this happens i the next 10-20 years."

 

 

 

How can it be any better dealing with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives , as apposed to the Drug Enforcement Administration ?

[Indigro]

Here's an npr article w a cooy of the actual denial letter from the dea... They lie like politicians.

 

http://www.npr.org/2016/08/10/489509471/dea-rejects-attempt-to-loosen-federal-restrictions-on-marijuana

 

admin edit: heres the link to pdf

https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3010607/AA-Rosenberg-Marijuana-Petition-Ltr-08-11-2016.pdf

[t-pain]

its the same circular logic as always.

 

marijuana does not have a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,

(because its illegal, it cannot be prescribed and "accepted" by medical doctors, because the DEA will lock doctors up for prescribing marijuana.)

 

there is a lack of accepted safety for marijuana use under medical supervision

(because marijuana is illegal)

 

and it has a high potential for abuse.

(abuse can be defined by people who are in treatment for use, aka most people who are arrested for marijuana use are sent to treatment facilities.)

 

marijuana is schedule 1 no medical benefit and no research done on marijuana bud

researchers cant get approval from dea to study marijuana buds

fda wont reschedule marijuana unless there are studies done on marijuana.

 

 

Symptoms of Cannabis Use Disorder

 

According to the DSM-5, (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition) the criteria for Cannabis Use Disorder is as follows:

Use of cannabis for at least a one year period, with the presence of at least two of the following symptoms, accompanied by significant impairment of functioning and distress:

Difficulty containing use of cannabis- the drug is used in larger amounts and over a longer period than intended.

 

Repeated failed efforts to discontinue or reduce the amount of cannabis that is used

An inordinate amount of time is occupied acquiring, using, or recovering from the effects of cannabis.

Cravings or desires to use cannabis. This can include intrusive thoughts and images, and dreams about cannabis, or olfactory perceptions of the smell of cannabis, due to preoccupation with cannabis.

Continued use of cannabis despite adverse consequences from its use, such as criminal charges, ultimatums of abandonment from spouse/partner/friends, and poor productivity.

Other important activities in life, such as work, school, hygiene, and responsibility to family and friends are superseded by the desire to use cannabis.

Cannabis is used in contexts that are potentially dangerous, such as operating a motor vehicle.

Use of cannabis continues despite awareness of physical or psychological problems attributed to use- e.g., anergia, amotivation, chronic cough.

Tolerance to Cannabis, as defined by progressively larger amounts of cannabis are needed to obtain the psychoactive effect experienced when use first commenced, or, noticeably reduced effect of use of the same amount of cannabis

Withdrawal, defined as the typical withdrawal syndrome associate with cannabis, or cannabis or a similar substance is used to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

 

 

 

The status of the disorder can be further qualified as follows:

Early remission

Sustained remission

 

An additional specifier for the status of the disorder is:

In a Controlled Environment, e.g. a treatment facility or correctional facility where access to cannabis is limited.

 

The severity of the disorder is also noted, depending on the number of symptoms noted:

Mild – Two or Three Symptoms

Moderate- Four or five symptoms

Severe- Six or more symptoms (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

so because people have thc in their blood while driving, marijuana is abusive and illegal.

 

yep thats scientific!

[outsideinthecold]

This whole Schedule charade is simply a mechanism to keep government budgets intact.

[Wild Bill]

Here's an interesting article on rescheduling and how it might effect existing legal states.

 

https://www.brookings.edu/2016/05/27/clearing-up-misconceptions-about-marijuana-rescheduling-what-it-means-for-existing-state-systems/

[zachw]

Here's an interesting article on rescheduling and how it might effect existing legal states.

 

https://www.brookings.edu/2016/05/27/clearing-up-misconceptions-about-marijuana-rescheduling-what-it-means-for-existing-state-systems/

 

Good article - thanks for posting!