The U.S. marijuana industry and its advocates suffered a huge blow Thursday after it was announced the drug will remain illegal, according to a report issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Marijuana will remain a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substance Act. All drugs that are considered Schedule 1 substances mean that they have no medical use as per the Food and Drug Administration, which means the 29 US states that have legalized the medical and recreational use of marijuana are now in complete defiance of federal law.
According to the DEA, a Health and Human Services evaluation revealed marijuana has no currently accepted medical use because “the drugs chemistry is not known and reproducible; there are no adequate safety studies; there are no adequate and well-controlled studies proving efficacy; the drug is not accepted by qualified experts; and the scientific evidence is not widely available.”
“There is no evidence that there is a consensus among qualified experts that marijuana is safe and effective for use in treating a specific, recognized disorder,” the report added.
Although the DEA report could not determine specific negative risks associated with marijuana use, the report noted that the plant has a high potential for abuse resulting in psychological dependence. However, researchers could only find little evidence to support theories that marijuana is gateway drug.
The new law is sure to have a huge impact on the growing marijuana tech industry, farming and dispensaries.
However, people all over the nation have been speaking out against the findings of the report, including former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
The Senator took to his Twitter recently to share his sentiments over the federal law, writing, People can argue about the pluses and minuses of marijuana, but everyone knows its not a killer drug like heroin.
Several others have been speaking out against the law and using the trending Twitter hashtag #IfItWasntforWeed to shed light on the positive ways marijuana use has helped them from reducing seizures in children with epilepsy to easing pain and nausea experienced by cancer patients.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: ‘If It Wasn’t For Weed’ Trend Starts After Legal Marijuana Is Shot Down By DEA
Author: Janice Williams
Contact: International Business Times
Photo Credit: Rapid City Journal
Website: International Business Times
