Marijuana Faces Many Roadblocks To Be Removed As A Schedule 1 Drug. The Biggest ? Its classification as a Schedule 1 Drug
DEA Refuses To Declassify Marijuana As A Schedule 1 Drug. A statement released on July 16th 2016 from the Drug Enforcement Administration denied a petition to initiate rulemaking proceedings to reschedule marijuana.
“Marijuana has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Based on the established five-part test for making such determination, marijuana has no ‘‘currently accepted medical use’’ because: As detailed in the HHS evaluation, the drug’s chemistry is not known and 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”- DEA
Without the opportunity for legalization it is extremely difficult to get around the DEA regulations to reschedule
The DEA states in its report that a reason for marijuana’s schedule 1 classification, is that users of marijuana choose to use the drug despite the fact that is federally illegal in the entirety of the United states. They also state using the drug without a doctors recommendation, as cause for the schedule 1 classification, an option for patients in only half the states in the nation.
“There is a significant diversion of the drug or drugs containing such a substance from legitimate drug channels. Individuals are taking the drug or drugs containing such a substance on their own initiative rather than on the basis of medical advice from a practitioner licensed by law to administer such drugs in the course of his professional practice. “-DEA
The DEA also finds issue with the marijuana plants capacity to have different chemical constitutes, one of the plants biggest assets as a medicinal application
The cannabinoids in cannabis are so influential on the endocannabinoid system, a system naturally occurring in our body, that they are able to have a revolutionarily positive effect. Knowledge that researchers have worked diligently to acquire in spite of the fact that they have limited funds, little time, and immense legal obstacles. The surface of the benefits of the different aspects of the marijuana plant have barely been scratched.
“Marijuana is a plant that contains numerous natural constituents, such as cannabinoids, that have a variety of pharmacological actions. The petition defines marijuana as including all Cannabis cultivated strains. Different marijuana samples derived from various cultivated strains may have very different chemical constituents including delta9-THC and other cannabinoids As a consequence, marijuana products from different strains will have different biological and pharmacological profiles’-DEA
The DEA is concerned about the effects of marijuana use, abuse, and dependence stating the general response to the drug as reasoning for the schedule 1 classification
Below is a list the DEA stated as the common subjective responses to cannabinoids
1) Relaxation, increased sociability, and talkativeness.
2) Increased merriment and appetite, and even exhilaration.
3) Enhanced sensory perception, which can generate an increased appreciation of music, art, and touch.
4) Heightened imagination, which can lead to a subjective sense of increased creativity.
5) Initial dizziness, nausea, facial flushing, dry mouth, and tremor.
6) Disorganized thinking, inability to converse logically, time distortions, and short-term memory impairment.
7) Impaired judgment, which can impede driving ability or lead to an increase in risk-tasking behavior.
8) Illusions, delusions, and hallucinations that intensify with higher doses.
9) Emotional lability, incongruity of affect, dysphoria, agitation, paranoia, confusion, drowsiness, and panic attacks, which are more common in inexperienced or high-dosed users.
Below is a list of the common subjective responses to alcohol, which is not a class scheduled drug
1) Blackout, loss of consciousness dehydration ,facial flushing
2) Amnesia, mental confusion, or unresponsiveness
3) Nausea or vomiting
4) Aggression or lack of restraint
5) Depression, euphoria,
6) Problems with coordination
7) Rapid involuntary eye movement, or slurred speech
Larger doses producing progressively severe impairments of
8) Balance, muscle coordination, and decision-making ability (potentially leading to violent or erratic behavior) nausea or vomiting from alcohol’s disruptive effect on the semicircular canals of the inner ear and chemical irritation of the gastric mucosa.
Sufficiently high levels of blood-borne alcohol
9) Coma and death from the depressive effects of alcohol upon the central nervous system.
All DEA quotes sourced from :
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Drug Enforcement Administration
21 CFR Chapter II
[Docket No. DEA-427]
Denial of Petition to Initiate Proceedings to Reschedule Marijuana
Drug Enforcement Administration
21 CFR Chapter II
[Docket No. DEA-427]
Denial of Petition to Initiate Proceedings to Reschedule Marijuana
