DEA | Legalize Medical Marijuana
Earlier this year, rumors that claimed the DEA would reschedule marijuana from schedule I to schedule II or III on August 1st were falsely spread by the Santa Monica Observer. This date has now passed and we’ve yet to get an exact date on when the DEA will decide whether or not to reschedule marijuana.
The Source Of The Rumors
The information provided by the local community newspaper was lacking in credibility.
The only source the Santa Monica Observer gave to back the report of the DEA’s plan to reschedule marijuana on August 1st was an anonymous attorney who claimed he received the information from another attorney representing the DEA.
It would appear now that this source was a phony one and a lot of people got their hopes up then let down because of it.
Controlled Substance Act
The schedules are drug rankings by the level of risk associated with them. The schedules were created as a part of the Controlled Substance Act of 1970.
Since then, marijuana has been ranked as a schedule I substance, along with some of the most deadly drugs like heroin and bath salts. This ranking has also prevented researchers from studying the benefits or harms associated with marijuana.
The DEA defines drugs in the schedule I category as having absolutely no medicinal value. They are also considered the most dangerous drugs in America.
DEA Track Record With Changing Marijuana Laws
Don’t set your hopes too high when it comes time for the DEA to decide on whether or not they should reschedule marijuana. We mentioned earlier this year that the Drug Enforcement Agency has a bad track record when it comes to changing cannabis laws.
They also said they “hoped” to have a decision ready within the first half of 2016. We are currently in month 8 out of 12 and there is still no exact date for when the decision will be made. This adds to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s bad track record when it comes to changing marijuana laws.
DEA Claims
The DEA claimed it wants to remove the roadblock that is preventing further research on marijuana.
The DEA now claims marijuana “does not have a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, there is a lack of accepted safety for its use under medical supervision, and it has a high potential for abuse.”
They say if the scientific understanding about marijuana changes then the decision could change.
The Future of Marijuana’s Reclassification
It might appear as though the DEA is heading in the direction of lowering the schedule of cannabis. However, experts have doubted that the Drug Enforcement Agency would reschedule cannabis and the recent decision not to reschedule confirms this. It’s also worth noting that even if the Drug Enforcement Administration does reclassify marijuana they may leave some parts of the plant like THC on schedule I while moving down other parts of the plants like the non-psychoactive component CBD. However, for now the DEA will keep the the entire plant federally illegal. People across the nation are already seeing marijuana’s medicinal benefits but the DEA seems to be looking in the other direction.
