Marijuana meets criteria for reclassification as lower-risk drug, FDA scientific review finds
Marijuana has a lower potential for abuse than other drugs that are subjected to the same restrictions, with scientific support for its use as a medical treatment, researchers from the US Food and Drug Administration say in documents supporting its reclassification as a Schedule III substance.
Marijuana is currently classified as Schedule I, reserved for the most dangerous controlled substances, including heroin and LSD. In 2022, President Joe Biden asked US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the attorney general to begin the administrative process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel Levine wrote a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration in August in which she supported the reclassification to Schedule III, a list that includes “drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence” such as ketamine, testosterone and Tylenol with codeine.
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Rescheduling marijuana could open up more avenues for research, allow cannabis businesses to bank more freely and openly, and have firms no longer subject to a 40-year-old tax code that disallows credits and deductions from income generated by sales of Schedule I and II substances.
Even naming heroin and LSD in the same breath is laughably unhinged
America, where opening your mind is considered just as dangerous as ruining your life and health.
Terence McKenna
Took me like fifteen years to do that without drugs. Could have saved me a lot of time.
"Fuck the drug war. Dropping acid was a profound turning point for me, a seminal experience. I make no apologies for it. More people should do acid. It should be sold over the counter."
George Carlin
John Travolta as Vinnie Barbarino in Welcome Back, Kotter
I took acid once. I giggled a lot and led my friends on an “adventure” into my backyard where we played hacky sack until it got dark enough to watch the stars. It was awful! You don’t want no part of this shit, Dewey!
I think I kinda want it
Psychedelics are awesome. If you don't have much experience with them, keep it to a moderate dose. I eat mushrooms quite a bit and a single dose at +5g would rock my world still.
In a healthy environment with a healthy mindset, you can discover a ton about yourself and how your mind works. Or, you can just have fun and socialize.
I use mushrooms medicinally and recreationally. If I want to chill and meditate I can. If I want to be social and have fun, I can. Regardless of my mood, they have been an awesome tool for managing my anxiety, social anxiety and depression. Best of all, it has been a key component in my recovery from alcoholism.
They are not for everyone, unfortunately. If you are not prepared for an accidental high dosage, it can be challenging. (There is so much variability in mushrooms, it can happen. Not so much with with substances like LSD.)
Yea I've taken lsd, mushrooms and dmt many, many times.
I used to love acid when I was younger. I bought 30 hits of blotter just for my 18th birthday for me and my friends. Never hallucinated like some people claim but had tons of energy and it made everything feel so... real? and vibrant. Shrooms were cool but just not nearly on the same level.
You definitely want to plan ahead and make sure you're surrounded by good company and plenty to do beforehand though.
Of all the drugs I've done, which isn't too many, acid is my favorite. Haven't done it since I was in college over 20 years ago. If I knew how to get my hands on some, I'd consider doing it again occasionally. Best body high I've ever had.
I loved acid but I would never do it again at my age (50s). Even back in my youth I thought the experience lasted way too long - I was always ready to come back down and sleep and contemplate my experiences long before the drug started to wear off.
Apparently the dark/deep web is remarkably reliable. At least it used to be, not sure if that's still the case. I kinda want to get some Bitcoin or whatever they're using to get a drone delivery of acid, but that would be way too much acid.
It's inherently problematic that the DEA is in charge of scheduling
Rescheduling marijuana would likely lead to a lower budget for the DEA... No way is the DEA going to voluntarily lower the scheduling of such a widely used drug
im pretty sure the dea smokes now hemp tho
Smoking hemp leads to disappointment and headaches.
Source: got fooled while driving through Nebraska.
They don't get money based on how many drugs are illegal. Not to mention, they like to go after big dealers which some will continue to import illegally or grow it in illegal ways. The DEA will still come after them.
They get money based on the resources needed to tackle illegal drug manufacturing/sales/usage
The more widely used an illegal drug is, the more resources they need to fight it
Reminder that the most dangerous drug in terms of deaths caused per capita is alcohol. Refined sugar and HFCS probably has alcohol's numbers beat if you consider that a drug though.
When I wasn't in a position to decide my own client list, I used to hate working for some of the large companies with high sugar products. Felt like consulting for Philip Morris or something. I remember one corporate HQ had giant posters in their cafeteria talking about how scientists didn't find a causative relationship between sugar and childhood health complications, and it felt just like the classic "nine out of ten doctors recommended XYZ brand cigarettes."
Nicotine/cigarettes are up there too.
I'm guessing obesity beats them all.
But let's be fair, if every bar and liquor store switched to selling meth and kids dad's brought them their first meth on their twenty first birthday, weddings had a traditional opening the meth moment, etc then things would be a lot worse.
Was this the review Biden asked for awhile back?
Yes,I believe so
It's coming this summer. It's a political winner for Diamond Joe.
This is nothing new. Nixon commissioned a report that said the exact same thing 50 years ago.
Of course fucking Nixon ignored the report so that he and the rest of the right fuckos could use pot as a legal (and often physical of course) cudgel against black people and hippies.
I wonder what pain relief drugs would be available if the Executive Branch followed science.
Shafer Commission : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shafer\_Commission
https://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/nc/ncmenu.htm
Cannabis has always been cannabis.
It has always been safe.
i have a feeling biden will finally get this done right before the election. hopefully this will mobilize the young enough to combat the hoards of jug hooters
My guess is he promises to get it done next term tho
And then doesn't do it.
But when we complain that we still can't buy pot in our state we'll get 4 replies 10 paragraphs long with citations all smugly telling us that we don't understand, he actually got "the most work done towards legalizing pot then any president since FDR"
The blame will depend on whether Republicans have control of a house of Congress. If they refuse to put it through the Republican-controlled Senate then it tracks that a Democratic presidential candidate would promise it but be unable to deliver due to the opposing party.
Blame him if he gets complete control and doesn't do it, blame the other party if they stop him from doing it.
This is the politician way.
LOL “jug hooters”… I love it!
What more does Biden need to do? They already directed HHS to consider reclassifying it from schedule I to III and HHS made their recommendation to the DEA who classifies the drugs. I thought it was up to the DEA now?
He said we'd look into it, so it's accomplished!
The executive branch is a bureaucracy that has to follow procedures. The president can direct the agency to start these processes, and that's what he done. The HHS has done the necessary work to show that cannabis is deserving of a lower schedule according to the Controlled Substances Act. It is now up to the DEA to review that data and reschedule it accordingly. This is the process stipulated by the law, and the executive branch must adhere to it. If they don't, it will be undone in the courts.
The alternative route would be for Congress to pass a new law to specifically legalize cannabis, but they do not have the numbers, so the Biden administration has to follow the process outlined in the existing laws. He's done what he is legally able to do, and it's more than any of his predecessors have. It may be slow, but it's pretty much a fast as the law allows.
That's great. Until it's actually happened, it's not an accomplishment. I'm not sure how centrists keep failing to understand this. You don't get credit for something that hasn't happened. Cannabis is still illegal federally. If that changes due to Biden's efforts, I'll happily give him credit.
But it hasn't happened yet. This isn't the Silmarillion. You don't get credit for trying.
Are you unable to answer the question or do you not have an answer? Is that why you resorted to snark?
Not expect praise for something that hasn't happened?
Centrists demand credit for non-accomplishments because they prefer to accomplish nothing.
Where did I demand Biden be praised?
When did I demand Biden get credit?
Often on social media the same people who decry one side behaving like authoritarian dictators act like it’s acceptable for their side to behave like gasp authoritarian dictators.
Yes, some people like to give undue credit but you’re just the other side of that coin shitting on any action that is taken.
Instead of engaging in the discussion you resort to snark, assumptions and insults. It’s clear you have nothing to contribute, engaging with you any further would be a waste of my time.
Have a day!
I've said that I will be happy to give Biden credit for actual accomplishments. This is not an accomplishment. It could be groundwork for one, or it could be making a show of looking into it and then not following through.
Democrats squandered what remaining benefit of the doubt they had years ago. Until it's an accomplishment, it's a bill of goods as far as I'm concerned.
It’s not, it’s what Biden can do. That’s why you still haven’t provided an example or an actual answer to the original question, what else is there for Biden to do?
So you don’t understand how the process works? That’s effectively what you’re saying.
Perhaps you should read up. This is a good explanation from when this was discussed during Obama’s presidency. Do you see anywhere that it says the president can unilaterally legalize or change the schedule of a drug?
There’s a system, it’s part of how that whole checks and balances thing works. Ignorance often leads to anger as you so aptly demonstrate. I honestly wonder if people who comment like you have are being intentional or are unwittingly part of the disinformation machine.
I don't expect him to do anything. He's a Democrat. I didn't say I expected him to do anything. Your question is based on incorrect assumptions.
Until this is an accomplishment, it's a bill of goods. It's another in an endless series of worthless promises that Democrats never intend for an instant to keep. It's a con.
No, my question was based on what the person I was responding to said before you jumped in with your inanity. Try to keep up.
Then don't expect me to answer on another's behalf. If you'll carefully read my comment, you'll notice that at no point did I say Biden was going to do anything nor that I expected him to.
Just pointed out that he said he'd look into it, and noted the centrist tendency to interpret stated intentions as accomplishments, regardless of how little is actually done.
Then don’t reply to someone who’s asking a question. Especially when you have nothing to actually contribute to the conversation.
There’s a saying about how it’s better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
You should have stayed silent because there is certainly no doubt about your foolishness now.
It never should have been "classified" or "scheduled".
Or alcohol should be schedule 1.
Cannabis being a "schedule 1" drug (one of the safest drugs we can consume) while alcohol (an extremely dangerous [to society and individuals] drug that is also addictive) is UNSCHEDULED and PROMOTED is beyond absurd.
Make anything make sense.
Doctor, my wife left me for my brother. May I please have a medicinal alcohol license?
Here's some change. Get yourself a nice liquor store and a handgun.
A whole store? Golly, doc, you're the best.
Money. That's how it makes sense.
At this point I trust cannabis more than I trust HFC. No one is trying to sneak cannabis in my food and cannabis doesn't make me fat.
I don't know, man... Those munchies are killer, man... /s
Ok fine if you consumed pot every day it could cause issues.
Three decades of the munchies beat you to it. - Hermes Conrad
Well no shit.
Wait, Ketamine and lean are schedule three* drugs? I thought those were pretty addictive and pretty damaging?
Edited number
Schedule I means not legal for any purpose, so no. Ketamine is used medically and “lean” is a fairly mild opiate, and also used medically (it’s a cough syrup, where did you think it came from?). Drugs like that are schedule ii-iv.
Schedule 3
Whoops, meant to say "aren't"
Glad it meets the criteria.
Fucking christ lmao.
This article seems to imply that stopping heavy marijuana use can lead to withdrawal symptoms.
Yeah, I'm calling bullshit on that.
There's definitely symptoms. Irritability being the main one.
Trouble sleeping is another one. It's not a heroin withdrawal, but it's there.
Inability to sleep and lack of appetite are also pretty common.
Goku goes SSII when he’s resting on his T break weekends
People can get that from not watching TV or listening to music.
Should we also ban those?
It said mild withdrawal symptoms. Nothing like alcohol or cocaine withdrawal.
The body is going to react to anything that it stops getting after it has been getting it consistently. Caffeine is perfectly legal and I get bad migraines from quitting it.
Irritability, sleep problems, night sweats, appetite issues, etc. These are 100% withdrawl effects for some heavy or frequent cannabis users who stop cold turkey.
Is it cocaine or heroin withdrawl? Absolutely not. But we don't do anyone any favours pretending that people don't experience these symptoms when stopping (though, on the other hand, not everyone does. Depends how heavy/long you've been imbibing and individual differences in body chemistry).
Crazy vivid dreams after stopping long term use as well.
Not necessarily a negative withdrawal effect, although the sudden vivid dreams can be extra scary if the dreams aren't happy dreams
Very vivid dreams for a week count?
That's about it. I am getting a good amount of pushback from people who very much like the idea that being able to dream again and not being high are withdrawl.
And sure, they're all technically correct in the most pedantic way.
longtime user here, i tuck in with a bowl every night, and every morning i wake up with a dream still dancing in my head. when i go on a break i don't "start dreaming again", I have extremely vivid and bizarre dreams for like a week and then it settles back to normal. Drugs have more effect on dreaming than just "stop" and "go". I suspect the issue is less others being pedantic and more you being unwilling to challenge a deeply oversimplified take.
Wow, you remember vivid dreams. That's clearly withdrawl.
....In the most technical sense, only. You're technically correct, the best form of correct. Which is pretty much the definition of pedantry.
you seem like a very informed and educated person. please, do continue gatekeeping the term "withdrawl" based on your rigorous and well-sourced scientific definitions - oops I'm sorry, I mean petty judgment, scorn, and dismissiveness toward anyone who uses language appropriately despite your weird feelings about how words ought to be used. I'm sure you were a joy to have in class. Do you also have a breakdown about pedantry when the dictionary definition of a word isn't what you feel like it should be?
You seem irritable. Maybe it's withdrawl, eh?
You're just straight up provoking me now without even the pretense of trying to make any kind of point, so I'm going to just hit that block button and be done with this exchange.