{"id":41386,"date":"2016-09-09T11:48:15","date_gmt":"2016-09-09T15:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hhoupgrade.wpengine.com\/?p=41386"},"modified":"2025-01-29T21:08:18","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T02:08:18","slug":"marijuana-schedule-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/marijuana-schedule-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Disappointment as DEA Keeps Marijuana as a Schedule 1 Drug"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Marijuana has been around humankind since what feels like forever. Its seeds were found in burial chambers dating back to 3000 BC. Practitioners of Chinese medicine have been using it for thousands of years. George Washington even grew<\/span><a href=\"\/history-of-hemp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">hemp<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> at<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mountvernon.org\/george-washington\/the-man-the-myth\/george-washington-grew-hemp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mount Vernon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Cannabis was legal for most of America\u2019s history and could be found in extracts, tinctures, and medicines until the 1970s when \u201creefer madness\u201d took over and resulted in the prohibition of its use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last Thursday, the Federal Government announced its decision to stick to its outdated stance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While half of the US states have passed laws that allow the use of medical marijuana, the Federal Government has decided that it will<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dea.gov\/divisions\/hq\/2016\/hq081116.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">not reclassify it from Schedule 1<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> under the Controlled Substances Act. This decision has disappointed many advocates and medical users who had hoped the plethora of states now legalizing the use of medical marijuana would soften the federal government\u2019s position.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Marijuana Schedule 1<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) classifies as Schedule 1, the most highly restrictive category of regulation, any substance that has \u201c<\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.\u201d<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Other drugs classified as Schedule 1 include heroin, LSD, and ecstasy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"http:\/\/theleafonline.com\/c\/politics\/2014\/10\/whytodayishistoric\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-41390\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Why-Today-is-a-Historic-Day-for-Cannabis-Policy-The-Leaf-Online.jpg\" alt=\"Marijuana Schedule 1\" width=\"600\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Why-Today-is-a-Historic-Day-for-Cannabis-Policy-The-Leaf-Online.jpg 640w, https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Why-Today-is-a-Historic-Day-for-Cannabis-Policy-The-Leaf-Online-510x326.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><br \/>\nWhy No Change?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To reach its decision, the DEA requested a scientific evaluation of the drug by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who concluded that marijuana continues to meet the criteria for Schedule 1. It based its decision on the following reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">High potential for abuse &#8211; Marijuana continues to be widely used recreationally.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lack of \u201c<\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">currently accepted<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d medical use in the US &#8211; \u201c<\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">[The] drug\u2019s chemistry is not known or reproducible; there are no adequate safety studies; there are no adequate and well-controlled studies proving efficacy; the drug is not accepted by qualified experts; and the scientific evidence is not widely available<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision &#8211; There are no FDA-approved marijuana products on the market.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Advocates of the drug are understandably disappointed. The decision seems rooted more in politics than in hard evidence. Let\u2019s take a look at each point in turn.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>High potential for abuse<\/strong>: <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The HHS\u2019s report states, \u201c<\/span><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Little evidence supports the hypothesis that marijuana use leads to abuse disorder with other illicit substances<\/span><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u201d The recreational use of marijuana can be compared to the recreational use of alcohol, yet its effects on the body and mind are subtler. Compare the behavior of a person who has just had a recreational smoke to someone who has just had several stiff drinks\u2014I think we all agree one is much more likely to cause trouble. Compare as well the number of alcohol-related deaths (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/alcohol\/data-stats.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">an annual average of 88,000<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">) to the number of deaths associated with marijuana (none reported directly to its use). Many may remember the groundbreaking study undertaken by the British government\u2019s drug advisor<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/2009\/oct\/30\/drugs-adviser-david-nutt-sacked\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Professor Nutt<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. He reported that marijuana is actually one of the least dangerous drugs with alcohol and nicotine proving far more damaging to health.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>No currently accepted medical use<\/strong>:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23386598\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> showing marijuana\u2019s medical potential are many and varied, and several<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/magazine\/2015\/06\/marijuana-science-drug-research-legality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">respected scientists<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> have come out in defense of this ancient plant. Marijuana has been shown to have potential<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11916-015-0524-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">analgesic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> properties, which may be suitable for relieving pain. And yet how many people<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25154332\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">overdose from prescription painkillers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> every year? According to the<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/drugoverdose\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">CDC<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, prescription pain relievers killed more than 28,000 people in 2014. Add to that scary statistic the fact that these drugs are<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.addictioncenter.com\/opiates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">addictive<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and have a long list of side effects, and it seems a shame to turn away from a potentially less harmful alternative. Moreover,<a href=\"\/states-that-have-medical-marijuana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> states\u00a0that have medical marijuana laws\u00a0<\/a>have noticed a drop in both opioid-related deaths and painkiller prescriptions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Lack of FDA approval<\/strong>: <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This point seems at best redundant. How many products with known and documented harmful effects have been approved by this governmental body? We can think of a few, including<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alternativementalhealth.com\/the-connection-between-aspartame-artificial-sweetener-and-panic-attacks-depression-bipolar-disorder-memory-problems-and-other-mental-symptoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">aspartame<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/cspinet.org\/resource\/food-dyes-rainbow-risks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">artificial food colors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and trans-fat (the latter is thankfully being<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national\/health-science\/fda-moves-to-ban-trans-fat-from-us-food-supply\/2015\/06\/16\/f8fc8f18-1084-11e5-9726-49d6fa26a8c6_story.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">phased out<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> from our food supply). And what about those products that have not been approved by the FDA? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That said, this decision not to budge from a 40-year-old stance does not mean there is no hope on the horizon.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><br \/>\nWhat Now for Medical Marijuana Users?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Over 20 states have legalized, to varying degrees, the use medical marijuana. While Federal Law is above State Law, the DEA has pretty much looked the other way and left states that have chosen to allow medical marijuana use, or small amounts of marijuana for recreational use, to their own devices\u2014provided these states set strict regulations for sale and use. Medical users can therefore breathe a sigh of relief and carry on using marijuana to cope with their symptoms. What\u2019s more, despite its decision to keep marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance, the DEA has made some positive noises regarding the future of the drug.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/theleafonline.com\/c\/politics\/2014\/10\/whytodayishistoric\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-41392\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Weed-Dispensary-Ban-051714975000.jpg\" alt=\"Marijuana Schedule 1\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Weed-Dispensary-Ban-051714975000.jpg 960w, https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Weed-Dispensary-Ban-051714975000-510x287.jpg 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b><br \/>\nThe Future of Marijuana in the US<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the reasons given for marijuana being left as a Schedule 1 is the lack of evidence proving its medical efficacy. While there are many studies demonstrating marijuana\u2019s potential for managing pain and other conditions, these fail to meet the DEA\u2019s strict criteria for medicines. This could well be because of marijuana\u2019s Schedule 1 status, which makes it difficult, time-consuming and expensive to gain approval for medical research.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To address this, the DEA is hoping to allow more research through various means, like increasing the amount of marijuana grown for research and letting more people and facilities grow it for studies. So far, only the University of Mississippi has been legally allowed to grow marijuana for research purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><br \/>\nThere\u2019s Hope Yet for Marijuana<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It seems the Obama administration is upholding a failed drug war, basing its decision to keep marijuana Schedule 1 on the outdated \u201creefer madness\u201d mentality rather than looking at the existing evidence that marijuana has medical value. But let\u2019s not get downhearted at this decision. Instead, let\u2019s focus on the silver lining: Further research into the potential of marijuana as a medicine can only result in future changes in its classification. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do you think about the DEA\u2019s decision to keep marijuana Schedule 1? Have you had experience using medical cannabis? We\u2019d love to hear your thoughts on the subject, so drop us a line in the comments section below!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marijuana has been around humankind since what feels like forever. Its seeds were found in burial chambers dating back to 3000 BC. Practitioners of Chinese medicine have been using it for thousands of years. George Washington even grew hemp at Mount Vernon. Cannabis was legal for most of America\u2019s history and could be found in [&#8230;]\n","protected":false},"author":60581,"featured_media":41393,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6462],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-united-states-cbd-policy"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/60581"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41386\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}