Feds limit research on marijuana for medical use

Alright guys, here's the link again:
Petition to Congress
It's only got 15 letters so far. Sign it. Spread it. Send it to your friends and family. Nag them until they sign it too. Post it on Facebook. If you know anyone with a website or the ability to really get the word out, get them on board too. Reiterate that it's not for all out legalization, just to remove it from Schedule 1. Baby steps.

originally posted by: ladyvalkyrie
Alright guys, here's the link again:
Petition to Congress
It's only got 15 letters so far. Sign it. Spread it. Send it to your friends and family. Nag them until they sign it too. Post it on Facebook. If you know anyone with a website or the ability to really get the word out, get them on board too. Reiterate that it's not for all out legalization, just to remove it from Schedule 1. Baby steps.

Start a new thread with this in it....Make it clear what it is....Nobody is going to page 5 or 3 of this thread to find it! Minus the 15 already....lol

originally posted by: SoulSurfer


a reply to: Krazysh0t

My apologies I did not intend to belittle your intelligence. That is why I said at the start about clarifying. Clarifying isn't necessarily belittling. Its simply clarifying the point I was trying to make.

But even if its not intentional from their part. The allegory with the mechanic still applies. Its not much about conspiracy though. If you notice, its mostly about greed I speak of. To ensure returning customers. Whether this is a conspiracy or not, it still falls under the lines of greed.

The root of many conspiracies IS greed though.

Point being, corporations do not care about us. They are apathetic for the large part and only care about how much more $ they make. You need to see big pharma as a big monopoly. (which should be illegal) No company should have control over the lives of people period. We should be able to excersize our choice via alternative medicines, and cannabis provides that alternative.

Big pharma ISN'T a monopoly though. There are a bunch of different pharmaceutical companies. Off the top of my head, there is Bayer, Astra Zeneca, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson. Heck I WORK for a pharmaceutical company. We mostly manufacture them and are only a mid size company (around 500 employees), but we also have a development lab as well.

Think about it, if you were the owner of a large corporation with the focus on making money. Wouldn't you see cannabis as a threat to your empire? Considering cannabis can treat the following:

Well I already pointed that out. Plus there is this thread that I authored:
Leading Anti-Marijuana Academics Are Paid By Painkiller Drug Companies

So believe me, I am WELL informed as to the pharmaceutical industry's opinion on marijuana.

That is one mighty big list... is it any wonder why it is illegal?

It's illegal due to racism and the paper industry fearing that hemp would put them out of business in the 1930's.

This at least you can agree on. Though my sources tells me there is a more sinister plan, but for the sake of not arguing, I will leave that part out and focus on what is provable instead.

Monopolies do happen, it happened with Microsoft and bill gates. The FDA and big pharma is no different.

The FDA is a government agency, they can't be a monopoly, and again in order for a monopoly to exist it has to be ONE company dominating all others. Hence the prefix "mono" in front of it. Big pharm is made up of TONS of different pharmaceutical companies.

originally posted by: _damon
a reply to: Krazysh0t

those already aware of its many benefits dont need a study. Only spoonfed ignorants need confirmations. If you are of those that are waiting for "scientism" to confirm what has been known all along then you deserve what you're getting.

Actually you should confirm just about anything with evidence and science. Even the stuff that you know intuitively. You'd be pretty surprised about the amount of misconceptions that we believe as a society that science has debunked.

a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

I already did and it got trashed because it's against the rules to start a thread with the sole purpose of promoting a cause. I can understand why, every other thread would be advertisements for people's blogs and crap.

a reply to: ladyvalkyrie

PS I sent a letter to the editor of my local paper promoting the petition. Try it with your local paper. The worst that could happen is they don't publish it. Be sure you stress to people that it is NOT for out and out legalization. It's simply to remove it from Schedule 1 status so the medicinal benefits can actually be studied.

* Now I'm all for total legalization....but, baby steps people. I've got PTSD, others have cancer, seizures, Crohn's Disease, fibromyalgia, etc. etc. Come at it from the angle of compassion for sick people.

originally posted by: ladyvalkyrie
a reply to: Acidx

MJ has medicinal benefits. Period. If you think otherwise, then congratulations you're so friggin healthy you've never had to turn to substances just to get by day to day. The criteria for schedule 1 is that it has no benefits. But no one can study it to prove the benefits because it's schedule 1.

Personally I think MJ should be free and clear legal. BUT if I HAD to pick a schedule to put it under...based on DEA criteria, I would say schedule 3 or 4:

Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs but more than Schedule IV. Some examples of Schedule III drugs are:

Products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone


Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence. Some examples of Schedule IV drugs are:

Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan, Talwin, Ambien, Tramadol

Schedule 2 includes coc aine...so, no, MJ shouldn't be in that category.

Source

And if you want to call 'use' abuse, then fine. But remember...no one has ever overdosed from MJ. Ever. In the history of the world.

Heroin is schedule 1, yet used in medicine around the world... abuse potential.

a reply to: Chrisfishenstein
how much APAP/tylenol is in oxycontin? 0. What by your definition are hardcore drugs? Anyone who is on methadone or suboxone the rest of their life after opiate therapy is not being treated for obvious underlying mental conditions. Cannabis is better for neuropathic pain.
you should not be restricted in studying cannabis because of its scheduling, i think that is the big dilemma here. If there were studies done then you would see, nothing will ever replace opioids. If you do not need them than more power to you, i personally have seen these drugs work miracles.
I am for across the board legalization, if you think you know what makes a drug "bad" and "good" then you dont understand medicine.

a reply to: Acidx

1. Let's just forget the rest of the world for this discussion and focus on the US and the DEA schedule of drugs.
2. If heroin is used in medications, how did that happen with IT being a Schedule 1 drug?
3. Abuse potential. Hmmm....you can overdose on heroin. Hell, you can overdose on pretty much every drug down through Schedule 5:

Schedule I

Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are:

heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide ('___'), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote

Schedule II

Schedule II drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, less abuse potential than Schedule I drugs, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are also considered dangerous. Some examples of Schedule II drugs are:

Combination products with less than 15 milligrams of hydrocodone per dosage unit (Vicodin), coc aine, methamphetamine, methadone, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), oxycodone (OxyContin), fentanyl, Dexedrine, Adderall, and Ritalin

Schedule III

Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs but more than Schedule IV. Some examples of Schedule III drugs are:

Products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone

Schedule IV

Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence. Some examples of Schedule IV drugs are:

Xanax, Soma, Darvon, Darvocet, Valium, Ativan, Talwin, Ambien, Tramadol

Schedule V

Schedule V drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with lower potential for abuse than Schedule IV and consist of preparations containing limited quantities of certain narcotics. Schedule V drugs are generally used for antidiarrheal, antitussive, and analgesic purposes. Some examples of Schedule V drugs are:

cough preparations with less than 200 milligrams of codeine or per 100 milliliters (Robitussin AC), Lomotil, Motofen, Lyrica, Parepectolin

You can overdose on Tylenol and it's not even scheduled. And I would think that the ability to kill oneself on a substance would be the ultimate measure of it's abuse potential.
4. According to their schedule a 1 (marijuana) is MORE psychologically and physically addictive than a schedule 2 (coc aine, meth, methadone, oxycontin) or a schedule 4 (Xanax, Ativan, Darvocet, Valium).

I understand you and I are basically on the same page and you're not debating. I mainly would like to know what medications heroin is used in and how THAT happened if it's the same schedule as MJ.

a reply to: Krazysh0t


It is the lobbyist that are behind keeping it as illegal as they can. A very good friend of mine was a state house rep and later a rep in DC I and worked with him a few times.

When ever bills came up to decriminalize Marijuana the lobbyist stormed the office and all sorts of citizens groups with their lobbyist if you looked into it it was 2 groups backing the no side for profit prisons companies and Pharmaceutical industries . Many citizen groups lobbying for a no their funding could be traced to either or both. One group of 150 anti group was ALL either employees or relatives of employees of The Wackenhut Corporation

When bills for stricter control of herbs and any alternative medicine came up Big pharma and fake citizens groups and their lobbyist stormed his office.

Its all about money not whats best for the society and sick people its about whats best for the corporate cash flow.

a reply to: ladyvalkyrie

Just for clarification. There really isn't much difference between Schedule 1 and Schedule 2. It's not that the government thinks coc aine is less dangerous for you than marijuana. It's just that the government thinks that marijuana has no medical value. Cocaine has a few medical uses that allow it to be in the Schedule 2 status, but as far as abuse potential, the two schedules are on equal level. That's really the only difference between those Schedules.

a reply to: TrappedPrincess

I sent you a U2U...did you get it ??

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Right. But even if they bumped it down to Schedule 2 it would at least open the door for proper research into medicinal benefits.


PS I think all drugs should be legal. But with stiff penalties for providing them to a child (under 18). It's called Darwinism.

The BIG problem here is....we are conceding grounds and rights to the government that were never theirs to begin with. What I mean by that is....no one has the "right" to prohibit another person from freely accessing a naturally occurring plant. The right to have access to any plant on the earth is an inherent right. Even if everyone in the world had the "opinion" that we should not use a particular plant...they still don't have the right to stop the one person that feels that they do want to use it. His inherent right trumps all of our opinions put together.

And the inherent right that we are dealing with here is the most basic and undeniable right that can exist. The reason that is....is because it is not a right that is based in a religious or philosophical belief system. It is a right based in natural law. The fact that we exist here together with the plant and animal life that surrounds us means that by nature we have free access to these things. And NO ONE has the right to deny that access.

By us even allowing them to take the position that they have taken shows that we are the ones allowing this injustice to exist...it is OUR fault that anyone that is in jail because of this plant is kept there because WE don't have the balls to stand up and tell our government NO !!! you don't have the right to do this.... you NEVER have had the right to do this....and you NEVER will have the right to do this.

IT IS PLAIN WRONG AND IT IS AS PLAIN AN ISSUE AS WILL EVER EXIST ON THIS EARTH...... IF WE CANNOT UNITE ON THIS MATTER AS A SOCIETY....THERE WILL NEVER BE AN ISSUE THAT WILL EVER EXIST THAT WE CAN UNITE ON..... CAN EVERYONE READING THIS SEE THAT ????..... WE NEED A PHYSICAL LOCATION TO TAKE A PHYSICAL STAND AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.....WE WILL USE THIS PLANT HOWEVER AND WHENEVER WE WANT.....AND WE WILL NOT BE DENIED THAT RIGHT !!!!

originally posted by: ladyvalkyrie
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Right. But even if they bumped it down to Schedule 2 it would at least open the door for proper research into medicinal benefits.

Agreed. That's why I wrote the thread. I just wanted to make sure that we cleared up the common misconception that just because coc aine is scheduled lower than marijuana, the government thinks it's safer and has less potential for abuse.

PS I think all drugs should be legal. But with stiff penalties for providing them to a child (under 18). It's called Darwinism.

Me too.

There is not MUCH difference, but there is and that is abuse potential. Heroin is schedule 1, it is a potent opiod analgesic, along with Tillidine. Methaqualone was originally a sleep aid OTC. These HAVE been proven to have medicinal value but people abused them heavily so they were scheduled in the first category. Their danger outweighs the benefit to society. Cocaine is useful in specific applications and has yet to be replaced because of its specific properties, although it is highly abused its also irreplaceable in some major life saving surgeries. The main difference is that we have alternative treatments with opioid analgesics and sleep medicines now, we dont have to use them. if all we had were morphine and diamorphine(heroin), the latter would be schedule 2. I hope this helps you understand why cannabis will never be removed from this category without a major shift in congressional attitude.

originally posted by: HarryJoy

The BIG problem here is....we are conceding grounds and rights to the government that were never theirs to begin with. What I mean by that is....no one has the "right" to prohibit another person from freely accessing a naturally occurring plant. The right to have access to any plant on the earth is an inherent right. Even if everyone in the world had the "opinion" that we should not use a particular plant...they still don't have the right to stop the one person that feels that they do want to use it. His inherent right trumps all of our opinions put together.

And the inherent right that we are dealing with here is the most basic and undeniable right that can exist. The reason that is....is because it is not a right that is based in a religious or philosophical belief system. It is a right based in natural law. The fact that we exist here together with the plant and animal life that surrounds us means that by nature we have free access to these things. And NO ONE has the right to deny that access.
By us even allowing them to take the position that they have taken shows that we are the ones allowing this injustice to exist...it is OUR fault that anyone that is in jail because of this plant is kept there because WE don't have the balls to stand up and tell our government NO !!! you don't have the right to do this you never have had the right to do this and you never will have the right to do this. IT IS PLAIN WRONG AND IT IS AS PLAIN AN ISSUE AS WILL EVER EXIST ON THIS EARTH. IF WE CANNOT UNITE ON THIS MATTER AS A SOCIETY....THERE WILL NEVER BE AN ISSUE THAT WILL EVER EXIST THAT WE CAN UNITE ON. CAN EVERYONE READING THIS SEE THAT ???? WE NEED A PHYSICAL LOCATION TO TAKE A PHYSICAL STAND AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. WE WILL USE THIS PLANT HOWEVER AND WHENEVER WE WANT.....AND WE WILL NOT BE DENIED THAT RIGHT !!!!

WELL SAID BROTHER!

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I sent you a U2U

a reply to: Acidx

I'm disabled due to severe PTSD/Anxiety. My current medication is Neurontin, actually a seizure medication. It depresses the entire nervous system. Side effects include: drowsiness, forgetfulness, bumping into things, burning myself on the stove (by accident of course), being really bad at math, not being able to recall simple words.
My only other (legal) alternative would be Benzodiazepines. Side effects: physical dependence, brain damage, death if mixed with other drugs or alcohol.

Or I could smoke a joint. Anxiety is just as muffled as with the Neurontin, but without the other side effects.

TAKE IT OFF SCHEDULE 1!!!!!! I wish I could line up all the politicians and lobbyists that are blocking this and pimp slap them one at a time.

a reply to: HarryJoy

I didn't get it.