Cannabis is Not Scheduled Appropriately
Tuesday, September 30th, 2008Written by a contributor who goes by the name of Zephyr.
——————————
I feel the need to report here an egregious error on the part of the United States government concerning the scheduling of certain substances. As many of you probably know, marijuana is a Schedule I Drug. This means that it has been determined that:
1. The drug or other substance has high potential for abuse.
2. The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
3. There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.
I will address these issues individually, starting with potential for abuse. Mosby’s Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary tells us “Substance abuse is the overindulgence in and dependence of a drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual’s physical and mental health, or the welfare of others.” So, from this definition, we can establish three things as requisite. Overindulgence, dependence, and detrimental effects to one’s self or others. The most important word there is “and.”