Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The federal government classifies cannabis as a schedule I drug. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency website, drug scheduling is based on a drug's "acceptable medical use and the drug's abuse or dependency potential."
It is further written, "Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are considered the most dangerous drugs with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are: heroin, LSD, cannabis, ecstasy, methaqualone, and peyote."
On the other hand, the federal government holds more than one patent on the intellectual property that cannabinoids (the compounds found in the cannabis plant) have several curative properties.
According to the United States patent website, patent no. 6,630,507 asserts that:
"Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This newfound property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of a wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia."
So to be clear we're on the same page ... Our federal government has patents on the "curative properties" of a schedule I drug which by definition has "no currently acceptable medical use." This is a blatant contradiction.
Millions of people suffer from the conditions listed above. It's long overdue that we remove cannabis from the list of schedule I drugs and research it like we do other medicine.
Every year more states offer cannabis as a medical option for people with a wide range of conditions. Now, more than half of the states in this country have cannabis available. It's been widely accepted for years that cannabis offers relief to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. More recently, the National Cancer Institute released a statement in 2015 that cannabis does more than help with nausea, it can and does kill cancer.
We've been brought up to believe that if a drug is prescribed by a doctor it's relatively safe, yet tens of thousands of people die each year from opioid-based prescription drug overdoses. We've been told that marijuana is dangerous and yet there is not one recorded death from an overdose in the history of the use of cannabis.
So many of our government's own agencies repeatedly state outright through testimony or research that cannabis is medicine and non-toxic. There are law enforcement officers across the country who find spending dollars policing marijuana to be a waste of their time and resources. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition or LEAP, have supporters including police, judges, prosecutors, prison wardens, FBI and DEA agents, and civilian supporters of drug policy reform. Active law enforcement officers and some 150,000 citizens are also a part of this group. Clearly not all law enforcement officials agree, but the simple existence of LEAP goes to show that the people who are directly involved in drug enforcement see the problem.
For so many years the public has been conditioned by anti-marijuana propaganda that these serious contradictions wash over us. The truth is that there is too much needless suffering in this world to keep cannabis out of the hands of people who could benefit from it. It is, in fact, inhumane and criminal. Over the past year I have received the amazing benefits of cannabis's anti-inflammatory properties. My autoimmune condition, ankylosing spondylitis, causes chronic inflammation and a laundry list of other side effects, worst of which is the possible fusing of my spine. As an active 37-year-old father of three, I found those prognoses unacceptable.
The more I benefit from this medicine and study its potential, the more I know it can help others. The benefit many people could receive from cannabinoid therapy seems obvious and we need to bring back our state's medical marijuana program. Now is the time for Montanans to stand up for the right to care for ourselves. We shouldn't stand idly by while our families and friends suffer needlessly. An effective, nontoxic alternative treatment is available. Let's continue to educate ourselves and others about how medical marijuana is a useful medicine.
Most Montanans want a responsible, accountable, medical marijuana program that offers safe reliable access for patients. Be sure to ask and vote for legislators that support medical cannabis and vote yes on Initiative 182, this November.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis - It Either Is, Or Is Not Medicine
Author: Boone Goddard
Contact: (406) 676-8989
Photo Credit: Especial
Website: Valley Journal
It is further written, "Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are considered the most dangerous drugs with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are: heroin, LSD, cannabis, ecstasy, methaqualone, and peyote."
On the other hand, the federal government holds more than one patent on the intellectual property that cannabinoids (the compounds found in the cannabis plant) have several curative properties.
According to the United States patent website, patent no. 6,630,507 asserts that:
"Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This newfound property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of a wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia."
So to be clear we're on the same page ... Our federal government has patents on the "curative properties" of a schedule I drug which by definition has "no currently acceptable medical use." This is a blatant contradiction.
Millions of people suffer from the conditions listed above. It's long overdue that we remove cannabis from the list of schedule I drugs and research it like we do other medicine.
Every year more states offer cannabis as a medical option for people with a wide range of conditions. Now, more than half of the states in this country have cannabis available. It's been widely accepted for years that cannabis offers relief to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. More recently, the National Cancer Institute released a statement in 2015 that cannabis does more than help with nausea, it can and does kill cancer.
We've been brought up to believe that if a drug is prescribed by a doctor it's relatively safe, yet tens of thousands of people die each year from opioid-based prescription drug overdoses. We've been told that marijuana is dangerous and yet there is not one recorded death from an overdose in the history of the use of cannabis.
So many of our government's own agencies repeatedly state outright through testimony or research that cannabis is medicine and non-toxic. There are law enforcement officers across the country who find spending dollars policing marijuana to be a waste of their time and resources. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition or LEAP, have supporters including police, judges, prosecutors, prison wardens, FBI and DEA agents, and civilian supporters of drug policy reform. Active law enforcement officers and some 150,000 citizens are also a part of this group. Clearly not all law enforcement officials agree, but the simple existence of LEAP goes to show that the people who are directly involved in drug enforcement see the problem.
For so many years the public has been conditioned by anti-marijuana propaganda that these serious contradictions wash over us. The truth is that there is too much needless suffering in this world to keep cannabis out of the hands of people who could benefit from it. It is, in fact, inhumane and criminal. Over the past year I have received the amazing benefits of cannabis's anti-inflammatory properties. My autoimmune condition, ankylosing spondylitis, causes chronic inflammation and a laundry list of other side effects, worst of which is the possible fusing of my spine. As an active 37-year-old father of three, I found those prognoses unacceptable.
The more I benefit from this medicine and study its potential, the more I know it can help others. The benefit many people could receive from cannabinoid therapy seems obvious and we need to bring back our state's medical marijuana program. Now is the time for Montanans to stand up for the right to care for ourselves. We shouldn't stand idly by while our families and friends suffer needlessly. An effective, nontoxic alternative treatment is available. Let's continue to educate ourselves and others about how medical marijuana is a useful medicine.
Most Montanans want a responsible, accountable, medical marijuana program that offers safe reliable access for patients. Be sure to ask and vote for legislators that support medical cannabis and vote yes on Initiative 182, this November.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Cannabis - It Either Is, Or Is Not Medicine
Author: Boone Goddard
Contact: (406) 676-8989
Photo Credit: Especial
Website: Valley Journal
