Marijuana has a lower potential for abuse than other drugs that are subjected to the same restrictions, with scientific support for its use as a medical treatment, researchers from the US Food and Drug Administration say in documents supporting its reclassification as a Schedule III substance.

Marijuana is currently classified as Schedule I, reserved for the most dangerous controlled substances, including heroin and LSD. In 2022, President Joe Biden asked US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the attorney general to begin the administrative process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel Levine wrote a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration in August in which she supported the reclassification to Schedule III, a list that includes “drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence” such as ketamine, testosterone and Tylenol with codeine.

Rescheduling marijuana could open up more avenues for research, allow cannabis businesses to bank more freely and openly, and have firms no longer subject to a 40-year-old tax code that disallows credits and deductions from income generated by sales of Schedule I and II substances.

      • RuBisCO@slrpnk.net
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        Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong.

        Terence McKenna

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        I took acid once. I giggled a lot and led my friends on an “adventure” into my backyard where we played hacky sack until it got dark enough to watch the stars. It was awful! You don’t want no part of this shit, Dewey!

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            Psychedelics are awesome. If you don’t have much experience with them, keep it to a moderate dose. I eat mushrooms quite a bit and a single dose at +5g would rock my world still.

            In a healthy environment with a healthy mindset, you can discover a ton about yourself and how your mind works. Or, you can just have fun and socialize.

            I use mushrooms medicinally and recreationally. If I want to chill and meditate I can. If I want to be social and have fun, I can. Regardless of my mood, they have been an awesome tool for managing my anxiety, social anxiety and depression. Best of all, it has been a key component in my recovery from alcoholism.

            They are not for everyone, unfortunately. If you are not prepared for an accidental high dosage, it can be challenging. (There is so much variability in mushrooms, it can happen. Not so much with with substances like LSD.)

        • Jay@lemmy.ca
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          I used to love acid when I was younger. I bought 30 hits of blotter just for my 18th birthday for me and my friends. Never hallucinated like some people claim but had tons of energy and it made everything feel so… real? and vibrant. Shrooms were cool but just not nearly on the same level.

          You definitely want to plan ahead and make sure you’re surrounded by good company and plenty to do beforehand though.

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            Of all the drugs I’ve done, which isn’t too many, acid is my favorite. Haven’t done it since I was in college over 20 years ago. If I knew how to get my hands on some, I’d consider doing it again occasionally. Best body high I’ve ever had.

            • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
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              I loved acid but I would never do it again at my age (50s). Even back in my youth I thought the experience lasted way too long - I was always ready to come back down and sleep and contemplate my experiences long before the drug started to wear off.

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              Apparently the dark/deep web is remarkably reliable. At least it used to be, not sure if that’s still the case. I kinda want to get some Bitcoin or whatever they’re using to get a drone delivery of acid, but that would be way too much acid.

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        Tbf, this is hardly unique to the US, and a handful of states are actually decriminalizing some psychedelics now. Not sure where else in the world is doing that.

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    It’s inherently problematic that the DEA is in charge of scheduling

    Rescheduling marijuana would likely lead to a lower budget for the DEA… No way is the DEA going to voluntarily lower the scheduling of such a widely used drug

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          There is an interesting loophole active right now in the US, a person can buy ‘high THCA hemp flower’, which is identical in composition to bud sold at a recreational dispensary, and it is not regulated and can be shipped across state lines legally through even the USPS. There might be some restrictions in certain states, but you can see an example of this bud here: https://www.luckyelk.com/buy/thca/overview

          So long as the THC content is below 0.3% it is not considered cannabis in the same way federally apparently. But most smokable weed has very low THC and high THCA, which is converted to THC when burned, so this bud that falls in this category is just as good as stuff you can get from a dispensary often.

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      They don’t get money based on how many drugs are illegal. Not to mention, they like to go after big dealers which some will continue to import illegally or grow it in illegal ways. The DEA will still come after them.

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    Reminder that the most dangerous drug in terms of deaths caused per capita is alcohol. Refined sugar and HFCS probably has alcohol’s numbers beat if you consider that a drug though.

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      When I wasn’t in a position to decide my own client list, I used to hate working for some of the large companies with high sugar products. Felt like consulting for Philip Morris or something. I remember one corporate HQ had giant posters in their cafeteria talking about how scientists didn’t find a causative relationship between sugar and childhood health complications, and it felt just like the classic “nine out of ten doctors recommended XYZ brand cigarettes.”

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      But let’s be fair, if every bar and liquor store switched to selling meth and kids dad’s brought them their first meth on their twenty first birthday, weddings had a traditional opening the meth moment, etc then things would be a lot worse.

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    It never should have been “classified” or “scheduled”.

    Or alcohol should be schedule 1.

    Cannabis being a “schedule 1” drug (one of the safest drugs we can consume) while alcohol (an extremely dangerous [to society and individuals] drug that is also addictive) is UNSCHEDULED and PROMOTED is beyond absurd.

    Make anything make sense.

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    Marijuana is currently classified as Schedule I, reserved for the most dangerous controlled substances, including heroin and LSD.

    Fucking christ lmao.

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      The reason for this has often been thought due to prison and possibly even tobacco lobbyists. Dunno about the second one, though the first certainly has the numbers to back it up, and the history. The history itself is quite the rabbit hole that begins in the U.S. back around the late 1930s. Though the drug itself has been around for hundreds of years, according to study.

      Sadly, due to the times we live in, just ask yourself what the modern Republican party would want to claim. Who uses Marijuana and for what reasons and you’ll probably land on why this became a fiasco in the first place.

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        The schedule 1 classification of cannabis and LSD is pretty famously linked to Nixon pushing for its criminalization, due to it being primarily used by anti-war “hippies”

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          Agreed. Not even remotely comparable to each other from an addiction/damage potential standpoint. LSD is entirely non-addictive habit forming, while heroin is the polar opposite. In terms of health damage, you can’t die from doing too much LSD, but you can from heroin (easily).

          All in all, it’s like comparing apples to heroin. Or cake to heroin. Or pizza to heroin. Or LSD to heroin.

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        Though the drug itself has been around for hundreds of years

        Longer than that. There is credible evidence that humans have been using cannabis for at least about as long as we’ve been brewing alcohol. Ancient religious relics recovered from archeological digs have been tested and shown cannabis residue.

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    This is nothing new. Nixon commissioned a report that said the exact same thing 50 years ago.

  • _number8_@lemmy.world
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    i have a feeling biden will finally get this done right before the election. hopefully this will mobilize the young enough to combat the hoards of jug hooters

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          The blame will depend on whether Republicans have control of a house of Congress. If they refuse to put it through the Republican-controlled Senate then it tracks that a Democratic presidential candidate would promise it but be unable to deliver due to the opposing party.

          Blame him if he gets complete control and doesn’t do it, blame the other party if they stop him from doing it.

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          But when we complain that we still can’t buy pot in our state we’ll get 4 replies 10 paragraphs long with citations all smugly telling us that we don’t understand, he actually got “the most work done towards legalizing pot then any president since FDR”

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      What more does Biden need to do? They already directed HHS to consider reclassifying it from schedule I to III and HHS made their recommendation to the DEA who classifies the drugs. I thought it was up to the DEA now?

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          The executive branch is a bureaucracy that has to follow procedures. The president can direct the agency to start these processes, and that’s what he done. The HHS has done the necessary work to show that cannabis is deserving of a lower schedule according to the Controlled Substances Act. It is now up to the DEA to review that data and reschedule it accordingly. This is the process stipulated by the law, and the executive branch must adhere to it. If they don’t, it will be undone in the courts.

          The alternative route would be for Congress to pass a new law to specifically legalize cannabis, but they do not have the numbers, so the Biden administration has to follow the process outlined in the existing laws. He’s done what he is legally able to do, and it’s more than any of his predecessors have. It may be slow, but it’s pretty much a fast as the law allows.

          • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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            The executive branch is a bureaucracy that has to follow procedures. The president can direct the agency to start these processes, and that’s what he done.

            That’s great. Until it’s actually happened, it’s not an accomplishment. I’m not sure how centrists keep failing to understand this. You don’t get credit for something that hasn’t happened. Cannabis is still illegal federally. If that changes due to Biden’s efforts, I’ll happily give him credit.

            But it hasn’t happened yet. This isn’t the Silmarillion. You don’t get credit for trying.

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          What more does Biden need to do?

          Are you unable to answer the question or do you not have an answer? Is that why you resorted to snark?

          • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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            Not expect praise for something that hasn’t happened?

            Centrists demand credit for non-accomplishments because they prefer to accomplish nothing.

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              Not expect praise for something that hasn’t happened?

              Where did I demand Biden be praised?

              Centrists demand credit for non-accomplishments because they prefer to accomplish nothing.

              When did I demand Biden get credit?

              Often on social media the same people who decry one side behaving like authoritarian dictators act like it’s acceptable for their side to behave like gasp authoritarian dictators.

              Yes, some people like to give undue credit but you’re just the other side of that coin shitting on any action that is taken.

              Instead of engaging in the discussion you resort to snark, assumptions and insults. It’s clear you have nothing to contribute, engaging with you any further would be a waste of my time.

              Have a day!

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                Yes, some people like to give undue credit but you’re just the other side of that coin shitting on any action that is taken.

                I’ve said that I will be happy to give Biden credit for actual accomplishments. This is not an accomplishment. It could be groundwork for one, or it could be making a show of looking into it and then not following through.

                Democrats squandered what remaining benefit of the doubt they had years ago. Until it’s an accomplishment, it’s a bill of goods as far as I’m concerned.

  • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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    At this point I trust cannabis more than I trust HFC. No one is trying to sneak cannabis in my food and cannabis doesn’t make me fat.

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        I know you’re joking but maaaaan if they just made my damn munchies with real sugar this wouldn’t be as big of a problem and they’d taste better, goddammit

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          I think research has shown that every day tokers actually have a lower body fat percentage than the average. I actually get a high-protein granola from the store that has hemp seeds in it, they are high in amino acids and protein. It isn’t super obvious it has hemp in it too so in a way they did sneak cannabis into it haha.

  • HiddenLychee@lemmy.world
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    Wait, Ketamine and lean are schedule three* drugs? I thought those were pretty addictive and pretty damaging?

    Edited number

    • squiblet@kbin.social
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      Schedule I means not legal for any purpose, so no. Ketamine is used medically and “lean” is a fairly mild opiate, and also used medically (it’s a cough syrup, where did you think it came from?). Drugs like that are schedule ii-iv.

    • You999@sh.itjust.works
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      Ketamine has medical applications such as being commonly used as an anesthetic in short term procedures and with those who do not respond positively to opioids. Ketamine is classified under low addiction risk as it’s not physically addicting as in its users do not suffer from withdrawal. The problem with ketamine however is that it helps users cope with a plethora of different mental illnesses which in itself is addictive.

  • tory@lemmy.world
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    This article seems to imply that stopping heavy marijuana use can lead to withdrawal symptoms.

    Yeah, I’m calling bullshit on that.

    • Cracks_InTheWalls@sh.itjust.works
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      Irritability, sleep problems, night sweats, appetite issues, etc. These are 100% withdrawl effects for some heavy or frequent cannabis users who stop cold turkey.

      Is it cocaine or heroin withdrawl? Absolutely not. But we don’t do anyone any favours pretending that people don’t experience these symptoms when stopping (though, on the other hand, not everyone does. Depends how heavy/long you’ve been imbibing and individual differences in body chemistry).

      • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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        Crazy vivid dreams after stopping long term use as well.

        Not necessarily a negative withdrawal effect, although the sudden vivid dreams can be extra scary if the dreams aren’t happy dreams

      • ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        Irritability, sleep problems, night sweats, appetite issues,

        Tbf, these are also some of the issues that starting weed helped me fix probably because ADHD.

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          Thing is, I 100% believe you. Cannabis can help with these kind of problems too, depending on the person.

          My only gripe is when people say “Lol, no one gets withdrawl symptoms when they stop smoking weed”. It’s true that not everyone experiences it, but a) when I have stopped cold turkey for anything more than a few days, I personally have these problems, with a fairly predictable timeframe/duration, and b) I don’t seem to be the only one who does*

          Want to make it clear that I really like cannabis, and it can legitimately be a game changer for some people’s conditions. But it’s important to balance out the actual good and the actual bad when talking about it - cannabis is neither 100% perfect for everyone every time, nor is it the Devil’s Lettuce that will lead to doing bumps of heroin on a pile of dead babies and an unhealthy love of freeform jazz. The truth’s in the middle - it has benefits as well as downsides, and different people experience both to different degrees.

          *There is, of course, an argument to be made that people who get ‘hit hard’ with withdrawl effects do so because they were self-medicating for some unrecognized condition. I don’t necessarily buy that for all cases, but it’s worth thinking about.

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      The body is going to react to anything that it stops getting after it has been getting it consistently. Caffeine is perfectly legal and I get bad migraines from quitting it.

      • tory@lemmy.world
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        That’s about it. I am getting a good amount of pushback from people who very much like the idea that being able to dream again and not being high are withdrawl.

        And sure, they’re all technically correct in the most pedantic way.

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          When I smoke more regularly everyday and stop suddenly I can feel horribly depressed, have trouble eating and sleeping, there are pretty widely recognized withdrawal symptoms though they aren’t as bad for everyone. Ask a therapist who works with substance abuse if weed has any withdrawal symptoms, plenty of people have trouble taking breaks or stopping because it can be hard for some to tolerate the symptoms. Obviously it’s not the same as something like heroin or benzos but it’s more than just more dreams.

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            Obviously it’s not the same as something like heroin or benzos but it’s more than just more dreams.

            It’s not even the same as caffeine, my dude.

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          longtime user here, i tuck in with a bowl every night, and every morning i wake up with a dream still dancing in my head. when i go on a break i don’t “start dreaming again”, I have extremely vivid and bizarre dreams for like a week and then it settles back to normal. Drugs have more effect on dreaming than just “stop” and “go”. I suspect the issue is less others being pedantic and more you being unwilling to challenge a deeply oversimplified take.

          • tory@lemmy.world
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            Wow, you remember vivid dreams. That’s clearly withdrawl.

            …In the most technical sense, only. You’re technically correct, the best form of correct. Which is pretty much the definition of pedantry.