{"id":47691,"date":"2019-09-24T12:31:19","date_gmt":"2019-09-24T12:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/even-the-former-fda-head-says-its-time-to-legalize-weed\/"},"modified":"2019-09-24T12:31:19","modified_gmt":"2019-09-24T12:31:19","slug":"even-the-former-fda-head-says-its-time-to-legalize-weed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/merryjane.com\/news\/even-the-former-fda-head-says-its-time-to-legalize-weed\/","title":{"rendered":"Even the Former FDA Head Says It’s Time to Legalize Weed"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the cannabis community, the DEA gets a bad rap. They\u2019re federal cops who\u2019ve been busting weed smokers, growers, and sellers for decades, and the agency takes liberties with the Constitution<\/u><\/a> so long as it\u2019s done to take down drug dealers. But the DEA, like all cops, is \u201cjust following orders.\u201d We\u2019ve known for several years now that the DEA\u2019s policies aren\u2019t truly its own, especially when it comes to cannabis. In fact, the DEA\u2019s anti-weed policies come from another federal administration: the FDA<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n

And now the former Commissioner of the FDA is calling on the federal government to reconsider its position on marijuana.<\/p>\n

“If we believe that cannabis has medicinal potential, we should enable suitable research rather than bypass these norms through wholesale legalization,” Gottlieb said<\/u><\/a> during an award ceremony at Samford University’s School of Pharmacy. However, he stressed that he only supports rescheduling marijuana so it can be legally and easily accessed by researchers, not because he supports \u201crecreational\u201d use.<\/p>\n

Currently, the federal government tightly restricts any medical or scientific research that involves cannabis. Marijuana, or cannabis containing more than 0.3 percent THC (i.e. it\u2019s the weed that gets people high), is classified as a Schedule I drug, meaning it is highly addictive, dangerous, and lacks accepted medical use. <\/p>\n

Gottlieb cited several major developments regarding cannabis legalization (and prohibition). He mentioned the complications caused by the nationwide decriminalization of hemp, as well as the recent spate of deaths caused by the vaping epidemic<\/u><\/a>. He even noted that the DEA actively obstructs cannabis research in the US by providing only crappy, unusable weed.<\/u><\/a> <\/p>\n

“These are addressable challenges. Congress can take specific action to enable easier access to cannabis that\u2019s appropriate for medical research,” Gottlieb said<\/u><\/a>. “Ultimately, we need to move past the social stigma around cannabis and address these complex public health and regulatory issues objectively.”<\/p>\n

Gallery \u2014 Feel-Good CBD Memes You Can’t Get High On: <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n