How do 20+ states have legal/medical MJ yet...

[Ns1]

DEA continues to have it's head stuck waaaaaaaaaay up it's ass and keeps MJ at Schedule 1. This is just baffling - in 2(?) states, it is completely legal to go and buy a drug that is supposedly more dangerous than cocaine and heroin. In many other states, it is completely legal to get a prescription and get marijuana for your ailments, even though marijuana has "no accepted medical use"

what the hell DEA. I guess it's nice that you've allowed additional producers, but it's too bad they're at least 10+ years behind the guys in CA/WA/CO/OR.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2016/08/11/marijuana-classification/

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork/AP) — The Obama administration isn’t going to reclassify marijuana and remove it from the list of the most dangerous drugs.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said in a lengthy notice in the Federal Register that it consulted with the Health and Human Services Department and concluded that marijuana will remain in the class of drugs that have “no accepted medical use in the United States.”

But the agency said it will try to make marijuana more available to researchers, CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton reported earlier Thursday.

The agency is opening the door to further medical research of the drug by expanding the number of agencies that can legally grow marijuana for research purposes.

Currently only researchers at the University of Missouri have the government’s permission to grow pot.

A nurse practitioner and two former Democratic governors filed petitions asking federal agencies to have marijuana reclassified as a drug with acceptable medical uses, CBS New reported.

Marijuana has long been classified as a “Schedule 1” drug with “no currently accepted medical use and high potential for abuse,” which is the same classification for such drugs as heroin.

 

[MrSquished]

Big Obama fan here and read this today and all I could think of was BOOOO Obama. It's absolutely ridiculous marijuana is classified in the same category as heroin and LSD. It's absurd in this day and age. Disappointed in this administration.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

No surprise. You can bet that a significant portion of the DEA's budget is for anti-MJ enforcement. They have no desire to voluntarily reduce their budgetary requirements so they maintain this classification sham.

 

[Jhhnn]

Big Obama fan here and read this today and all I could think of was BOOOO Obama. It's absolutely ridiculous marijuana is classified in the same category as heroin and LSD. It's absurd in this day and age. Disappointed in this administration.

Re-scheduling cannabis isn't something that can be done by executive order. There are protocols established by law involving approval by a plethora of federal agencies who are ultra conservative in that regard. What can be done is the issuance of enforcement guidelines from the DoJ. At this point the DEA is constrained from enforcing federal law against people & businesses that operate legally under state law. It won't get better than that until Congress acts. They're free of the pseudo scientific constraints of current statutes. They could legalize murder at the federal level.

Legalized recreational cannabis sidesteps all the medical considerations entirely, renders them moot. That's really the goal of activists & has been all along. Now that we have it & that it's highly successful prohibition is just... snake bit. Obama & Holder knew it when they allowed CO & WA to proceed with retail cannabis.

Or they could have just given us the Royal Romney. Too late for that now, huh?

That's something to be cheered, not booed. Thanks Obama!

 

[Brainonska511]

Re-scheduling cannabis isn't something that can be done by executive order. There are protocols established by law involving approval by a plethora of federal agencies who are ultra conservative in that regard. What can be done is the issuance of enforcement guidelines from the DoJ.

I was going to say something along these lines. There are specific procedures in place to change Federal regulations, as specified by law, and people lower down in the totem pole can stymie changes. The president isn't a dictator that can simply issue executive order to change regulations to his liking.

 

[Jaepheth]

Drug scheduling should be within the purview of the Surgeon General, not the DEA.

 

[fskimospy]

Drug scheduling should be within the purview of the Surgeon General, not the DEA.

I would agree with that, although my primary reason would be that I don't think the DEA should exist.

 

[theeedude]

DEA isn't going to regulate itself out of existence, Congress has to. But since drug war is one way to suppress the minority vote, it's not going to happen any time soon.

 

[alien42]

in 2(?) states, it is completely legal

make that four states plus DC

 

[hal2kilo]

I thought I already posted, but this new forum takes a year and a day to update so I don't know. Just letting you know on the front end.

This is the DEA keeping themselves in a self perpetuating job as well as major lucrative contracts. Gee yea, I'm going to cut half my workforce by making it schedule 2? Nah! Fuck with what the citizens want. Explain to me why alcohol is not schedule 1. It has no medical value, and has high potential for abuse also.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

The DEA is not necessary for this process. The President goes to the AG and the AG starts the process. Other agencies are involved but not the DEA. It's in the CSA.