Why is it that the facts about cannabis are ignored in favor of propaganda that has persisted for over a century? Why when doctors and other educated people declare the truth about cannabis do some politicians continue to spew nonsense?
Slowly but surely, we were making good progress toward medical marijuana legalization and in some states, laws were beginning to loosen on recreational use. It seemed possible that soon, federal law would begin to catch up with the states and then…Sessions!
As a U.S. Attorney in Alabama in the 1980s, Sessions said he thought the, KKK were OK until he found out they smoked pot. The man who made that statement, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, is now the attorney general of the United States. You can bet that federal marijuana law will become even more strict and penalties more severe if Sessions gets his way.
“A Very Real Danger”
In April of this year, Sessions said, “We need grown-ups in charge in Washington to say marijuana is not the kind of thing that ought to be legalized, it ought not to be minimized, that it’s in fact a very real danger.” Sessions’ statement of “fact” is actually an opinion based alternative facts about marijuana.
Typically, those who rail against the legalization of marijuana point to its designation as a Schedule I drug as evidence that it’s very bad and very dangerous. Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Does marijuana really fit the criteria to be on the list of Schedule I drugs?
High Potential for Abuse
According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta “There is clear evidence that in some people, marijuana use can lead to withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia, anxiety and nausea. Even considering this, it is hard to make a case that it has a high potential for abuse.” Compare that to what we know about alcohol, which is inarguably “one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs out there. It can lead to severe adverse health effects and life-threatening withdrawal symptoms.”
Studies show that alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs and it has devastating consequences, not only for drinkers but also for those around them.
And, a 2015 study found that “marijuana has the lowest risk of mortality and is safer than the commonly used alcohol and tobacco as well as the rest of the drugs in the study.” Due to the low risk of cannabis use, the researchers recommend “a strict legal regulatory approach rather than the current prohibition approach” to manage the use of marijuana.
Marijuana has No Medical Value
Many doctors believe that marijuana does indeed have medical value. Dr. Gupta is convinced that marijuana has “very legitimate medical applications” and that “sometimes marijuana is the only thing that works.”
Vivian Wilson, a young girl who suffers from a potentially life-threatening seizure disorder called Dravet syndrome, found no relief with traditional medical interventions. Her parents read encouraging reports about cannabis strains that were providing relief for Dravet patients in Colorado but they were unable to access medical marijuana in their home state of New Jersey. They family reluctantly moved to Colorado just so Vivian could be treated with medical marijuana and Vivian’s condition has improved tremendously.
Marijuana has proven to be effective in treating symptoms of chronic illnesses, including nausea from cancer, muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, weight loss, appetite issues, Crohn’s disease, as well as minor seizure disorders like Dravet Syndrome.
There really is no good reason for Marijuana to be on the list of Schedule I drugs.
Conclusion
In 2013, the Justice Department announced that it would not directly challenge state marijuana legalization laws and would take a narrower role enforcing federal law against pot sales in states where the drug was legalized.
In 2015, long Before Sessions was confirmed U.S. Attorney General, the acting head of the DEA said “heroin is clearly more dangerous than marijuana,” and that seemed to represent “a significant shift in the point of view of an agency that continues to classify marijuana as one of the ‘most dangerous’ drugs, alongside heroin and LSD.”
Jeff Sessions and others in the current administration have indicated they seek greater enforcement of federal laws against marijuana and recently sent a memo to federal prosecutors urging them to file “the most serious, readily provable” charges that carry the most substantial punishment, including mandatory minimum sentences.” Former Attorney General Eric Holder called Sessions’ move “unwise and uninformed” and said it’s “not tough on crime. It’s dumb on crime.” “The policy announced today is not tough on crime. It’s dumb on crime,” Holder said in a statement.
Every day, Americans, including children, ingest a substance that is probably more addictive and in terms of health, more dangerous than marijuana: Sugar. Mr. Sessions might want to look into that!
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Author bio:
Whitney Diedrich is a budtender and marketing specialist at Greeley Gallery, a family owned and operated Portland dispensary.