Category Archives: Drug Policy

Drug Policy, Politics

Keep Cannabis a Schedule I Drug

The Secretary of Health and Human Services has recommended changing the Schedule I classification for marijuana (cannabis).  HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, an attorney from California who made the announcement,  has no background in science or medicine.  It was a political move, rather than scientifically-informed recommendation.

The ultimate decision falls on the DEA and the Department of Justice. If the HHS recommendation is followed, marijuana would be a “Schedule III” drug instead of its current “Schedule I” status.

Pro-cannabis supporters see that possibility as a major victory, because it would pave the way for expanded legalization. We encourage our followers to contact the DEA directly to object to this proposal, and also reach out to your elected officials.

Recent attempts to reschedule marijuana were rejected in 2016, under the Obama administration, and in  2015  by Judge Kimberly Mueller of the Ninth Circuit Court.  It was also dismissed in 2012, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The three judges presiding on that panel included current Attorney General Merrick Garland.  Information about the dangers of marijuana has grown substantially in the last decade. Continue reading Keep Cannabis a Schedule I Drug →

CBD Cannabidiol, Drug Policy

Need to Close the Farm Bill Loophole

 A loophole in the farm bill has allowed sellers to process CBD from hemp into Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC and THC-0. We urge our followers to write to your Reps in Congress and the Senate and demand they close the loophole, using this form  letter.

Delta-8 THC,  Delta-10 THC and other THC analogs are sold in gas stations and smoke shops throughout the country. Many states have banned these products, but most have not. Unfortunately, these products have been getting into the hands of children and teens who are vaping it. Continue reading Need to Close the Farm Bill Loophole →

California, Canada, Drug Policy, Oregon, Washington

Marijuana Legalization is Closely Linked to the Homelessness Crisis

“There’s no question that marijuana and other drugs – in combination with mental illness or other disabling conditions – are essential contributors to chronic homelessness.”   Senator John Hickenlooper made that statement when he was governor of Colorado in 2017.

“This is one of the results of the legalization of marijuana in Denver, and we’re going to have to deal with it.”  Mayor Michael Hancock was talking about a violent incident on 16th Street Mall.  He described the “urban travelers” who came to Denver following legalization.  That was seven years ago, and a new mayor will have to deal with the problem, a problem that now extends to more cities.

Photos of unhoused people living in squalid camps of Los Angeles (shown above), Portland and Seattle show up in our social media feeds.  They’re taking over the streets in San Francisco, Vancouver and Denver.  New York City, with its 1400 illegal pot shops, has a growing homeless population, too.

And although homelessness is a national problem, and substance abuse is not the only cause, the common factor of the worst-hit cities and states is legalized marijuana. In some areas, it has reached crisis levels.  Even local leaders have declared a state of emergency to address the urgency of the situation.
 Continue reading Marijuana Legalization is Closely Linked to the Homelessness Crisis →

Drug Policy

Politicians play into Koch vs. Soros models of pot legalization

Politicians take sides when it comes to marijuana legalization. A Koch model believes that marijuana legalization offers new ways to make money (good for the economy), while a Soros model wants to undo the “war on drugs,”   which the US abandoned long ago.  Read Part I.   Follow us by email to get our blog articles.

The first two states to legalize, Colorado and Washington, may illustrate the differences.  Colorado has always been a libertarian free-for-all of legalization.  (However, Colorado has been forced to put warning labels on products over 10% THC, resulting in the largest downturn ever seen.

Washington State, on the other hand, used an ACLU lawyer to write its ballot and Soros bankrolls the ACLU.  The ACLU cares deeply that minorities are incarcerated at higher rates than white Americans.

However, Washington may have to crack down on its marijuana industry too.  A leaked scientific report from Washington recom-mends raising the age requirement for high-potency products to 25.
Continue reading Politicians play into Koch vs. Soros models of pot legalization →