Petition to Reschedule 'Marijuana' to Recognize Medical Benefits in Final Stages of R

[JackTheGrower]

Petition to Reschedule 'Marijuana' to Recognize Medical Benefits in Final Stages of Review by DEA

WASHINGTON, April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by DrugScience.org:

As scientists and researchers from Israel, Brazil, Canada and the US participate in the Sixth National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, a coalition of medical marijuana advocates is calling on the Obama administration for prompt action on an eight-year-old petition to reschedule marijuana for medical use. The petition, filed in 2002, argues that marijuana should be classified as a drug with "accepted medical use" based on growing scientific evidence and acceptance in state law. Since the petition was filed, even more scientific studies and state laws have recognized the medical efficacy of marijuana.

President Obama's Administration now has the opportunity to reclassify cannabis (marijuana) under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to make it consistent with state medical marijuana policies and that of its own Department of Justice. After nearly eight years of agency review, including an analysis of existing scientific evidence by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the petition is finally approaching its ultimate phase.

A final decision on the rescheduling petition will be made by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), however DEA can not place marijuana in a more restrictive schedule than recommended by HHS. Recently nominated DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart will make the decision on rescheduling marijuana at some point in the near future.

Please see the link for a complete posting.

 

[Stay Puft]

WOW,
This is the most promising/exciting development in quite some time.
It will be grand day when Cannabis is removed from schedule 1 status!
I hope the DEA doesn't wait another 8 years.
1 question- Just when does the "near future" end? lol

 

[grow2bfree]

Does anyone know what the actual reccomendation was from the HHS? I could not seem to find that info.

 

[treewizard]

I don't think that Obama will go for this.

 

[ChronJohn]

.

 

[Tony Aroma]

This is not promising, nor is it anything new. And I'm not sure what they mean about it being up to the DEA. According to the Controlled Substances Act, the Attorney General is the one that has the power schedule or re-schedule substances (with input from HHS). Maybe it means that the DEA has to approve the petition before passing it along.

No matter. History has shown that the DEA ignores everyone and all science when it comes to their policy. They even ignored their own administrative judge who said cannabis should not be a schedule 1 substance. They turned down a perfectly valid application by U. Mass. to produce legal cannabis for no apparent reason. They will simply delay as long as possible, then say "no" without giving any justification. Or they may pass the buck, saying they can't approve medical cannabis without FDA approval, which of course is impossible for a schedule 1 substance. They've already stalled the petition for 8 years. Do you really think that delay is because they're seriously considering it?

 

[THCV]

wait til O's 2nd term...

 

[Tony Aroma]

wait til O's 2nd term...

I wouldn't hold my breath.

 

[THCV]

I wouldn't hold my breath.

good call!

i should add "if he has a 2nd term". Of course, if palin becomes prez it'll get even MORE illegal. so yeah, holding your breath for 3+ years is never a good idea.

i still think O will do it in his final year of his 2nd term--it's the best chance for rescheduling since Nixon devised the system. So, 2016 it is!

 

[Open Eyes]

After nearly eight years of agency review, including an analysis of existing scientific evidence by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the petition is finally approaching its ultimate phase.

What they really mean is that the application file sat in some drawer somewhere because they do not want to touch it.

As far as obama's second term is concerned. If you believe that horse-hit that he will do something about it in his second term i can sell you some land on the moon if you are interested. He has shown what his priorities are. All politicians will tell you green is red and say it with a straight face. Dont believe a word he says as what he does and says are two separate things and they do not match up one bit so keep falling for his rhetoric.

 

[Koroz]

I still have hope for this country, but if we elect Sarah Palin then all that hope will be turned into the reality that we are driven not by intelligence but by retarded buzz words and cute faces.

That woman is the most stupid fucking person I have seriously ever heard talk. She is Bush with a vagina. I really fucking hope that the stupid following she is garnering all die in a fire so that she doesn't have the chance to become elected then quit because she gets a better "monetary" gig like she did in Alaska. And Obama.. Obama isn't going to do shit for Cannabis if you guys haven't realized that by now holy christ are you blind.

 

[ISP_SmokeTrain]

Does the Government ever do anything promptly ? The Feds are just waiting until over half the States have legalized, then they can make the change without as much blowback.
Lazy F**kers.

 

[Stay Puft]

I still do not understand how the federal government (IRS) can collect taxes from the sale of a Schedule 1 substance without being guilty of being a part of an ongoing criminal conspiracy (for money) to break federal law? ( a.k.a-RACKETEERING)

I mean they do collect taxes from dispensaries... don't they? It is still a schedule 1 substance...isn't it? Is my logic flawed?

 

[litebuzz]

no your logic isn't flawed...its our government that is. i say it will be changed from a schedule 1 within a few years. the tide is turning and they can't keep us at bay too much longer....the jig is up.

 

[JackTheGrower]

This isn't just America that is involved in this review.

That's why I felt it made a good post. If other Nations are also involved with this review then we are looking a a major review of policy.

I had other threads posted here to contrast what is going on like a neighbor town "Mantica" which has gone as draconian as possible even making limits on how and how much a medical person can grow.
I believe they are making everyone grow indoors. They will arrest anyone growing outside under the sun.

So we are seeing oppression everywhere still.

However, maybe we should all write whoever we can and encourage them to approve the reschedule?

The Haters are really mad over Gay rights, Cannabis and Healthcare. The best course of action is to keep the haters frothing mad while we attack the weaker fortifications.

We face opposition from our own on decriminalizing. We face an established Cannabis market that included the police and especially Mantica police which gets a large chunk of monies for Cannabis.

Well it's not boring.

 

[JackTheGrower]

I still do not understand how the federal government (IRS) can collect taxes from the sale of a Schedule 1 substance without being guilty of being a part of an ongoing criminal conspiracy (for money) to break federal law? ( a.k.a-RACKETEERING)

I mean they do collect taxes from dispensaries... don't they? It is still a schedule 1 substance...isn't it? Is my logic flawed?

I agree America is one twisted place.

It's always about money. Cannabis is about a lot of monies for many people. Places like Mantica Ca, depend greatly on State and Federal funds. They don't care about civil liberties.

 

[kmk420kali]

I still do not understand how the federal government (IRS) can collect taxes from the sale of a Schedule 1 substance without being guilty of being a part of an ongoing criminal conspiracy (for money) to break federal law? ( a.k.a-RACKETEERING)

I mean they do collect taxes from dispensaries... don't they? It is still a schedule 1 substance...isn't it? Is my logic flawed?

At this time, the only taxes that are being charged, is State Sales Tax--
But you are correct that the IRS cannot get shit from it...so, until they reschedule cannabis, they will be missing their chunk of the pie--

 

[xfargox]

I hope it doesn't take the DEA 6 years like the HHS's decision is. And I doubt that Leonheart will go for it she's a Bush holdover.

I'm sure the DEA will be ecstatic to take away their biggest money maker.

 

[Tony Aroma]

At this time, the only taxes that are being charged, is State Sales Tax--
But you are correct that the IRS cannot get shit from it...so, until they reschedule cannabis, they will be missing their chunk of the pie--

Don't dispensary owners and growers pay federal income tax? If owning a dispensary is your job, don't you have to put that on your tax return? Assuming most people in the mmj business are legitimate business people and pay their taxes, I'd say the IRS is knowingly taking money from illegal businesses.

 

[Pythagllio]

It's specifically required that you pay taxes on all income from whatever source. If you rob a bank you owe income tax on the profits.