We have lost several freedoms we can credit to the Republican Congress since 1994. First, they made sure Gay Marriage would be Federally prohibited. The attacks on Habeas soon followed after 9/11 - and succeeded. Thanks to Shurb & Co. we cannot trust that our domestic or international communications are not being monitored. Now, even land travel to Canada or Mexico will be restricted to those with the means to obtain a passport by this time next year. All of these encroachments into our personal lives need to be beaten back, for sure. Yet, one freedom that we have not had in some time seems to have been swept under the rug, once again.
In 2005, Rep. Frank introduced H.R. 2087, which would have effectively removed Marijuana as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, allowing the several states to address Cannabis (including hemp) on their own. I believe it is time that this bill was reintroduced for consideration by a more friendly Congress.
Why does it always seem that Legalization gets talking time when it has the least chance of being a reality? Indulge me. What are the drawbacks of pursuing Legalization?
Is it that we are sure that there are no medicinal benefits as our government insists?
Does the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reject crude marijuana as medicine?
- Yes... ... The American Medical Association, along with every other major American health organization in the country, agrees.
Really? No quite so, as norml.org reports. I count no less than 10 reputable National Organizations the British Medical Association, several state medical boards, providing endorsements such as:
New England Journal of Medicine
"Federal authorities should rescind their prohibition of the medical use of marijuana for seriously ill patients and allow physicians to decide which patients to treat. The government should change marijuana's status from that of a Schedule I drug ... to that of a Schedule II drug ... and regulate it accordingly."
Reference: Editorial by NEJM editor Dr. Jerome Kassirer, January 30, 1997
and
National Association for Public Health Policy
"We ... recommend the following ... actions: The federal government should re-classify marijuana ... out of the Schedule 1 category and allow their prescription where medically appropriate."
Reference: Position paper adopted by the National Association for Public Health Policy: November 15, 1998.
Well, that seems to debunk that tired old government line.
Maybe you've heard this one - "There are traditional medications to help patients suffering from HIV/AIDS, several forms of cancer, and other maladies". This is patently dishonest.
Dronabinol (trade name Marinol) is a legal, synthetic THC alternative to cannabis. Nevertheless, many patients claim they find minimal relief from it...
...Patients prescribed Marinol frequently complain of its high psychoactivity. This is because patients consume the drug orally. Once swallowed, Marinol passes through the liver, where a significant proportion is converted into other chemicals. One of these, the 11-hydroxy metabolite, is four to five times more potent than THC and greatly increases the likelihood of a patient experiencing an adverse psychological reaction.
Alright. It looks like there's room for disagreement on medical value, to say the least.
What about hemp? Surely our uber-capitalistic government is ready to accept a new potential cash crop for cultivation - possibly even use as an alternative fuel!
Industrial Hemp Producer? Plan Raises Feds' Suspicions - 01/29/07
That's cool, the DEA says, but the agency fears legal hemp could lead to legal marijuana. Also, growers could hide pot plants in hemp fields, complicating agents' efforts to find them, said Tom Riley, of the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy.
I will interpret "fears" to mean "has concluded that", only because it always does.
I could go on and on with this. The benefits of legalization have been made clear ad nauseam. The only drawback one can conclude, then, is political - based on old stereotypes and misconceptions.
More research would be great, but our government will continue to stifle research and progress until this one issue of drug scheduling is resolved. Cannabis sativa must be permanently removed as a Schedule I substance. I appeal to the courage Rep. Frank showed in 2005 and strongly urge him or another Democrat to reintroduce the States' Rights to Medical Marijuana Act for reconsideration by the 110th Congress. Please have the courage to see past the politics on this one issue and do the only right thing. Legalize it!