x-p: Regular Cannabis Smoking not associated with lung cancer

[RainDog]

23. Progress is in the works

in the meantime, if I had an illness and had had a benefit from cannabis, I wouldn't wait for the govt. I mean, by this, uses for nausea/vomiting, pain (including migraine pain and neuropathic pain), for use to help with spasticity for people with MS and CP, for seizure control for various forms of epilepsy - because the benefits, thus far, are much greater than the cost, apart from the societal cost of imprisonment.

But, again, the glacial pace of D.C. may be experiencing some global melting as more people are demanding changes.

Jesus posted this. But here's the original link: http://www.mainstreet.com/article/family/family-health/dea-asks-fda-consider-rescheduling-marijuana-schedule-i-drug?page=1

NEW YORK (MainStreet) — In another sign that the 2014 is turning out to be a watershed year for marijuana drug reform, the federal Department of Drug Enforcement (DEA) has sent up the first of what undoubtedly will be the first of many white flags.

After a historic House vote to defund the DEA's operating budget for marijuana enforcement in the states earlier in the month passed (with a similar one now in the Senate), the government agency has now asked the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider removing marijuana from the list of Schedule I drugs as defined by the Controlled Substances Act.

...That said, as marijuana is rapidly turning into the medical story of the year, it is doubtful that the issue will stall for long. Ultimately in a departmental overview such as this, which is highly politicized, impetus comes from the White House.

In April, Holder told the DEA he's interested in talking about cannabis scheduling. The DEA, of course, is under Holder's administrative purview. The Department of Justice administers the DEA.

In January, Obama stated his opinion that marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol or cigarettes (both substances that are not scheduled in any way). He also noted he supported legalization in Colorado and Washington State.

“It’s important for it to go forward because it’s important for society not to have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished.”

Last September, Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department would work with the states to implement the law, even though federal law continues to prohibit possession or use of the drug.

Jared Polis, D-CO, has stated he does not think Congress will do the right thing - and that is to pass legislation to remove cannabis from the controlled substances act and have it regulated like alcohol for recreational use. Any medical use would fall under the same restrictions any other plant-based substance faces when used for clinical trials. The difference would be that the NIDA and the DEA could not actively work to prevent medical research.

It's easy to elide the two subjects - recreational and medical cannabis - because the distinctions are still connected - the only reason it is so difficult to study potential medical benefits is because of the illegality stemming from its use as a recreational intoxicant. The analogy would be studying the medical uses of coffee. If coffee were illegal (and it was, at one point in western history) medical studies would be impeded by those who didn't want others to drink coffee for pleasure.