FDA To Evaluate Marijuana For Potential Reclassification As Less Dangerous Drug

Apologies if the following has already been mentioned, but alas, I did not have time to read the entire thread.

Whilst I am sure this looks like a fantastic idea, I am hoping that some of us are looking at the bigger picture here.

Once you step back, it is easy to see that the marijuana debate has been ongoing for some time now. I feel that the "debate" is a ruse -to let the people THINK they have won a freedom- when that "freedom" is going to end up highly regulated, GMO'd, taxed and not to mention have the potential to further dumb down the populace.

I am absolutely NOT against the legalization of the drug, as CLEARLY prisons are too full with people whose only "crime" is a personal choice of what they choose to put into their body.

I am absolutely NOT against the use of marijuana for health benefits or solely personal enjoyment, whichever the case may be.

I AM against the giant issues I foresee being hidden from the public (until they are rolled out one by one), as a result of the never-ending control agenda, that is placed upon the people.

Questions To Ask Yourself:

-Who is going to be allowed to grow it?
-Will Round-Up be used in the process?
-Will the seeds eventually be GMO seeds (will they be labelled as such) and will the public be allowed to know if they are?
-What are the repercussions of this?
-Will there be added taxes for those who consume? Will they be so high that the people who will benefit most can no longer afford this option?
-Will the natural properties inherent in the plant be adjusted or affected in ANY way without the knowledge of the consumer?
-If the people using marijuana recreationally, increase in numbers, will this have an effect of creating a more docile populace overall?
-Is that the end goal?

One must "follow the money" and see what the true agenda is. It might look to be for our benefit now, but that seldom remains the case nor is it likely the true goal. We must move forward on this issue, but not have it used as another division, nor go into it blindly and without questioning.

This is a topic I will keep my eyes on, but these eyes are going to be wide open.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Good thread SnF. Here is the propaganda I was shown,
in school against marijuana when I was a kid. 8th grade.

a reply to: Krazysh0teven poison ivy can be medicly beneficial if used correctly . Hoping for the right decision.

originally posted by: Baddogma
a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Where the heck did I say paranoid? Wait... are you a user??

Now I'm kidding, but not about calling you anything... except "mistaken"... and you mostly are "mistaken"... that's all.

...

You implied it...

originally posted by: Baddogma
...
Just wanted to correct that notion. Heck, an evil drug dealer might be downstairs watching TV in your home RIGHT NOW!

If anyone could be suspected of using MJ would be people who can't recall what they wrote 6 hours earlier and make arguments in favor of legalizing substances like MJ.

I also am pretty certain my statements included that my friends and myself would distance our group from people who were offering drugs, or were using them...

It also appears that MJ users seem to think that there is a MJ user and/or dealer across the street from everyone in the world and it should be seen as normal and ok...

I could also make the argument that it is more likely that there is an alcoholic across the street, or within the neighborhood of every person almost everywhere in world...

Should alcoholism/alcohol abuse be seen as "okay"? Substance abuse is a problem. It doesn't make everyone who does partake in such substance abuse as evil. However drug abuse can influence people to become aggressive either from withdrawal and/or the need to get the "high" again, as well as impairing people's brain and motor functions. In the case of alcohol abuse the aggressiveness can occur during intoxication and there is the possibility that even those who frequently use MJ to become aggressive, paranoid, etc. That's without mentioning that most drug dealers sell to everyone including minors making it even a worse crime.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
FDA To Evaluate Marijuana For Potential Reclassification As Less Dangerous Drug

There are 8 factors that the FDA has to consider during this process which are listed below:
1) Its actual or relative potential for abuse
2) Scientific evidence of its pharmacological effect, if known
3) The state of current scientific knowledge regarding the drug or other substance
4) Its history and current pattern of abuse
5) The scope, duration, and significance of abuse
6) What, if any, risk there is to the public health
7) Its psychic or physiological dependence liability
8) Whether the substance is an immediate precursor of a substance already controlled under this subchapter

It disgusts me that alcohol and nicotine clearly and blatantly fail all of these standards. And yet are perfectly legal, but we need decades of "revolutionary/ modernistic/ boundary-pushing" debate to get marijuana decriminalized.

As a little disclaimer I am both a light smoker and heavy drinker, so banning them would cause me distress, but that very distress (addiction) itself, as well as the numerous detrimental health factors I've noticed in myself, is why I find it unbelievable that these dangerous drugs are legal.

It's a crazy messed up world we live in.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

It's about time.
Actually it is way past about time, by more than several decades, but better late than never i suppose.

With half of all American states actively dispensing Cannabis as a medical theraputic for general pain relief, anti-inflammatory to aid with Rheumatism and joint swelling, mediator to aid in neurological conditions like Parkinsons, natural sleep aid, appetite stimulation, and a multitude of other medical reasons and benefits, the Federal Government knows full well they cannot continue to claim the same worn out and inaccurate 'No medical benefit' line...there is patently obvious medical benefits in using Cannabis medicinaly.

With another 3 or 4 states decriminalising Cannabis for recreation use (and therefore use as a medicinal preventative when used recreationaly), and those states seeing very healthy financial incomes from the sales taxes and employment of people into new business areas, knock on dividends and cost savings in the form of LOWERED crime rates in these 'recreational states', and extra profits for manufacturers of goods associated with Cannabis and Cannabis farming (these manufacturers employ people and pay state taxes on profits remember).

With all the evidence before them, with states financially and socially prospering from a more positive, rational and mature attitude towards Cannabis, the federal government could hardly admit to anything other than what the truth of the matter actually is; Cannabis is not only harmless, especially so when ingested by other methods apart from smoking it, it is highly beneficial in many other ways.

a reply to: MoonBlossom

-If the people using marijuana recreationally, increase in numbers, will this have an effect of creating a more docile populace overall?

Can't really answer most of your other points, but this one is straight forwards.

Not really, is the answer.

For starters, Cannabis consumption and its effects on those consuming it, should in my view, be treated in a similar way to alcohol. That is to say, people under a certain age whould not be allowed to consume Cannabis recreationally, although it should be allowed for younger people to treat illness and other medical reasons.

Cannabis is much milder in its effects than alcohol, but it is still a perception altering substance...even though not as mind altering as alcohol can be, it still affects our minds and alters perceptions, and so should be subject to the same restrictions (and penalties) that alcohol consumption has (drink-driving or operating heavy or dangerous machinery etc.)

Most people will not be wandering around under the effects of Cannabis, as they will be driving, working, learning, or otherwise going about their daily routine, just as most people do not walk around drunk on alcohol during the day.

Usually, people will have a drink in the evening after work to socialise or relax at home...this is how most people will use Cannabis too, so you'll not see a day where progressive states allowing the free use of Cannabis will be full of stoned people, forgetting what they were talking about 30 seconds earlier, anymore than there are states full of blind drunk people alternately wanting to punch each others faces in for looking at each other girl or spilling their drinks, and then next minute proclaiming that they 'really, really love you' and 'you're my bestist friend in the whole wide world'!

It's not about control IMO...it's about not being able to deny the obvious any longer and still maintain a shred of credibility for the reasoning for Cannabis prohibition.

Well that, and the feds not wanting to miss the Cannabis gravy train that is pulling into the station.

They need to at the very least dop it down from schedule 1.

I don't know how many other states have legalization at least medically on the ballot this November but my state of Florida does. Some places are already zoning in anticipation. The zoned cocoa beach pier as a location.

To be honest cocoa beach was pretty much built off of trafficking at the port. Good old mr ron Jon did time for it. I even heard that the giant concrete surf statues in front were some of the ways they brought it in.

If you ever go there they have a ton of surfboards so outrageously priced they have sat there over 20 years I was told by his former partner they cooked the books by overpricing that stuff.

Anyway reducing the schedule and legalizing it will be a much needed boom to a lot of local economies. Maybe even cure my headaches because nothing else does.

Re evaluate to see where they can make money from it.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

Oh, I see where the implication could be seen... what I meant was a family member, or someone close, could be seen as a "dealer" using your criteria, is all... apologies for poor communication.

I think despite all the misinformation and weighing of pros and cons, it comes down to not policing what people do in their private lives that hurt nobody (except, arguably, themselves... and even that is truly debatable).

Even if it is a moral stance, and I can see the argument for a clear head, and perhaps not taking mild altering substances until one's brain has matured, it is unenforceable, destroys privacy and treats adult citizens as children.

Also, drug laws were primarily enacted to have a way to keep the brown and black people in line (meaning in custody if they got too comfortable)... which is a fact.

The other fact that might surprise the folks buying the common wisdom about the drug war is that most of it is moved by our CIA and other black op boys... another fact, not a conspiracy theory. No wonder they don't want it legal... there is a lot of money to be considered.

Totally agree. By it's own definition alcohol should be class A.

All way round it causes the most destruction.

Sorry my previous reply was in response to your post. I managed to mess up posting . a reply to: Bundy

a reply to: wantsome

Yeah, and I'm allergic to blueberries... and you don't see me trying to throw your butt in jail if you like eating them... there are many things in the world that can be dangerous or distasteful... making them illegal isn't the answer... teaching and learning is the answer.

a reply to: revoltsquad806

There are plenty of drugs that should be banned, and I agree with that. But even if there banned or not, now matter what laws you make, and how many people sign a piece of paper saying its illegal and unmoral, it will still likely find its way to people and the streets. It always has and always will, were there is a profit there is a way.

In Mexico and the middle east whole gangster groups have gotten rich and powerful so much so to start a whole drug lifestyle craze and have more manpower and gear then the police force, in fact some weeks ago came across an article were the cartels in Mexico were advertising to the local populous to come join them instead of the police force because the pay is better, you get better hours, and way better benefits, and really they ain't lying as there is a whole culture who worship the cartels there. And in Afghanistan or Iraq or the middle east, its much the same many groups have gotten rich and powerful with the drug trade which previously were dirt poor, and yes many hold political positions as well, and you best believe everybody knows what is going on from the local warlords to the politicians we put in power to the farmers who would rather grow drug crops instead of food because its just more profitable for them to do so. And Its all just a cycle, which is making many many groups and people very wealthy.

The most you can do is manage it so it does not completely take over as it has in some countries, drugs as coc aine and others can be and have been used as weapons of war to completely decimate local populations. Weed however, I would not consider a hard extremely dangerous drug, in fact I have a hard time caring if people smoke it or not, in the same way I have a hard time caring if people smoke cigarets or not, and as I have yet to see any serious crimes or any serious damages done because of weed, in fact I have seen more people go nuts over there missing cigarette pack then people and weed, and all that I have seen was purely because the stuff was illegal.

Sure there are side effect and if you abuse any substance no matter what it is, its not good for you, but there are side effects to everything. Really prolonged abuse of weed would cause you just as much health and mental problems as cigarets would albeit though in different ways, and its a more healthy alternative to some man made prescription drugs out there most of which have worse side effects then weed would have, leaky bowl syndrome being the least of them. So really pick your poison.

Well, it's about damned time. My 71 year old father has self medicated with marijuana for better than 35 years. In October, depression overtook him and he attempted suicide by starving himself to death, (or almost). When he was found, so was a few ounces short of a pound. Police confiscated it but I was able to talk them out of pressing charges. 3 months ago, he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. We started out with his primary care dr, went from there to orthopedic specialist, orthopedic surgeon, pain management specialist (that's a contradiction in terms if I've ever heard one). Two epidurals within a month in a half and no pain relief. Of course, pain management specialist wanted to install a spinal stimulator, but refused to do anything for the pain. This went on 3 months. I finally conceded in letting him return to his smoke. I am his medical POA and also his daily caregiver through a home health agency. Bingo, in one freaking day, pain free. We tried to take the high road, the legal route since it's not legal where we live yet. The medical community failed him miserably. At 71, I'm not encouraging corrective surgery or the spinal stimulator because the results he has now does the trick. If he is chemically dependent on marijuana, it's not going to be listed in his obituary. What does it freaking matter at that age. I've said for years, if they would legalize it, regulate it and tax it, we''d be out of the national debt in no time and the suffering of the elderly would be decreased tremendously.

originally posted by: Baddogma

Oh, I see where the implication could be seen... what I meant was a family member, or someone close, could be seen as a "dealer" using your criteria, is all... apologies for poor communication.

First of all my closest family members which includes sisters, cousins, nieces, aunts, uncles etc do not use mj. Some smoke cigarettes and drink, but no mj users... Again it is fallacious to imply that "you must know someone close to you that uses mj". This is not necessarily the case.

BTW, in case you don't know this there are millions of people who choose not to drink alcohol, or smoke anything.

originally posted by: Baddogma
I think despite all the misinformation and weighing of pros and cons, it comes down to not policing what people do in their private lives that hurt nobody (except, arguably, themselves... and even that is truly debatable).

Even if it is a moral stance, and I can see the argument for a clear head, and perhaps not taking mild altering substances until one's brain has matured, it is unenforceable, destroys privacy and treats adult citizens as children.
...

If cannabis is ever decriminalized there will be a lot of problems. First, it is a drug that impairs memory and judgement as well as your motor skills. So if it is decriminalized then urine tests for jobs cannot be used as evidence if the substance the person used is MJ. This means that people can go drugged by their use of MJ to their jobs.

Even one joint can cause memory and judgement impairment. it does changes and affects your brain in ways that one beer, unless you were alcoholic, does not. You can get away by drinking ONE beer (unless you were alcoholic) and an hour or so later go to work, but the same cannot be said of MJ.

To make my point...

Study: Fatal Car Crashes Involving Marijuana Have Tripled

February 4, 2014 9:14 PM

SEATTLE (CBS Seattle) – According to a recent study, fatal car crashes involving pot use have tripled in the U.S.

“Currently, one of nine drivers involved in fatal crashes would test positive for marijuana,” Dr. Guohua Li, director of the Center for Injury Epidemiology and Prevention at Columbia, and co-author of the study told HealthDay News.

Researchers from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health gathered data from six states – California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and West Virginia – that perform toxicology tests on drivers involved in fatal car accidents. This data included over 23,500 drivers that died within one hour of a crash between 1999 and 2010.

Li reported in the study that alcohol contributed to about 40 percent of traffic fatalities throughout the decade.
...

seattle.cbslocal.com...

So expect such accidents to increase, including on the job accidents.

originally posted by: MamaBinx
Well, it's about damned time. My 71 year old father has self medicated with marijuana for better than 35 years. In October, depression overtook him and he attempted suicide by starving himself to death, (or almost).

...

First of all, if your father has been using MJ for over 35 years haven't you contemplated that his depression, lack of wanting to eat, etc could have been caused by his heavy mj use?

BTW, in case you didn't know long term use of MJ does have the effects you mention your father has.

For example, among the many detrimental side effects long term MJ/cannabis has on people there are the following.

...
Along with euphoria, relaxation is another frequently reported effect in human studies. Other effects, which vary dramatically among different users, include heightened sensory perception (e.g., brighter colors), laughter, altered perception of time, and increased appetite. After a while, the euphoria subsides, and the user may feel sleepy or depressed. Occasionally, marijuana use may produce anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic.
...
Marijuana users who have taken large doses of the drug may experience an acute psychosis, which includes hallucinations, delusions, and a loss of the sense of personal identity. Short-term psychotic reactions to high concentrations of THC are distinct from longer-lasting, schizophrenia-like disorders that have been associated with the use of cannabis in vulnerable individuals. (See "Is There a Link Between Marijuana Use and Mental Illness?")
...

www.drugabuse.gov...

Your father's depression, and then lack of appetite due to depression could have been caused by his long term use of the drug.

You have to weight in the side effects as well of the use of the drug. Another health problem that could occur from such prolonged use is cancer. I am sorry, but MJ is more potent than cigarettes. Not to mention the fact that users have to inhale deeply and keep the drug in their lungs longer than cigarettes users do. So despite the claims of some, the frequent use of MJ can cause cancer.

There is a reason why more than 120,000 people in the U.S. alone each year seek treatment for their use of MJ, and those are the people who realize the problem from use of MJ. There are many more that do not want to accept the fact that MJ does have many negative effects.

www.narconon.org...