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Title: US Attorney General Finally Admits Weed Isn’t a Gateway Drug — Prescription Pills Are
Source:
Counter Current News
URL Source: http://countercurrentnews.com/2016/ ... teway-drug-prescription-pills/
Published: Sep 28, 2016
Author: Ivan Stamenkovic
Post Date: 2016-09-29 09:35:01 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 4996
Comments: 5
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a U.S. federal research institute focused on “[advancing] science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction … to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health. ” Though it admits “the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, ‘harder’ substances,” it still describes marijuana as a gateway drug. But U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch recently told a group of Kentucky high school students the role of marijuana in the national drug abuse debate has been overstated. While discussing how heroin abuse and how individuals often develop an addiction, Lynch argued: “[I]ndividuals [start out] with a prescription drug problem, and then because they need more and more, they turn to heroin. It isn’t so much that marijuana is the step right before using prescription drugs or opioids — it is true that if you tend to experiment with a lot of things in life, you may be inclined to experiment with drugs, as well. But it’s not like we’re seeing that marijuana as a specific gateway.” Attorney General Lynch added that instead of trafficking rings, what “introduce[s] a person to opioids … [is] the household medicine cabinet.” The event she attended was part of the Prescription Opioid Heroin Epidemic Awareness Week, a campaign designed by the White House that includes “250 different events highlighting the importance of prevention, enforcement, and treatment.” As expected, the campaign focused on advertising the official approach to drug abuse, encouraging the public to support the Obama administration’s approach to the opioid crisis. Measures embraced by the administration include “expanding evidence-based prevention and treatment programs, increasing access to the overdose-reversal medicine naloxone, and supporting targeted enforcement activities.” But nowhere in the official campaign page is there a list of practical solutions to the opioid crisis, an admission of guilt, or a concession stating that, despite marijuana’s official federal classification, cannabis is not seen as the root of the problem by the very head of the United States Department of Justice. In early August, the Obama administration said no to a bid urging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reconsider how marijuana is classified under federal drug control laws. Currently, the DEA lists marijuana as a Schedule I drug, along with heroin, the pivot drug of the opioid epidemic. But as the Attorney General’s comments demonstrate, the federal government fails to take its own classification methodology seriously, choosing instead to contend that prescription drug abuse is a much bigger issue. Per its federal classification, marijuana should be seen as a threat as dangerous as heroin, and yet Lynch appears to contend the abuse of legal drugs is keeping federal agents busy — not the enforcement of her agency’s own rules. What Lynch is failing to discuss on the federal government’s anti-opioid abuse campaign trail is the racist, opportunistic roots of the failed and decades-long drug war in America. But as American states begin to shift their approach to some of the targets of this nationwide anti-drug campaign, legalized marijuana is able to accomplish what many drug war apologists claimed criminalization would achieve: bringing down the drug cartels. But as the Washington Post report demonstrates, legalizing pot is not enough. While powerful drug cartels have seen legalized marijuana taking a chunk out of their profits, the criminalization of other drugs such as heroin continues to put addicts in harm’s way. With drug cartels seeing an increase in demand due to the pressure mounting from the growth of the relationship between the government and the pharmaceutical industry, dangerous alternatives to heroin, such as fentanyl, are sold on the street as regular heroin. Without legal means to produce the drugs the market demands, these cartels are not concerned with the quality of their product nor the health of their consumer. When looking at the destruction stemming from the illegal drug trafficking industry, we are able to trace it back to the criminalization of drug commerce and use — and yet government officials prefer to live in the dark ages, upping their involvement with the war on yet another drug epidemic entirely manufactured by crony kingpins.
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#1. To: Deckard (#0)
But the majority of people who use 'harder' substances started with marijuana.
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine National Institute on Drug Abuse Revised July 2015 What is medical marijuana? The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat a disease or symptom. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine. However, scientific study of the chemicals in marijuana, called cannabinoids, has led to two FDA-approved medications that contain cannabinoid chemicals in pill form. Continued research may lead to more medications. Because the marijuana plant contains chemicals that may help treat a range of illnesses or symptoms, many people argue that it should be legal for medical purposes. In fact, a growing number of states have legalized marijuana for medical use. Read more about marijuana-related state laws at www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/state-laws-related-to-marijuana. Why isn’t the marijuana plant an FDA-approved medicine? The FDA requires carefully conducted studies (clinical trials) in hundreds to thousands of human subjects to determine the benefits and risks of a possible medication. So far, researchers have not conducted enough large-scale clinical trials that show that the benefits of the marijuana plant (as opposed to its cannabinoid ingredients) outweigh its risks in patients it is meant to treat. Read more about the various physical, mental, and behavioral effects of marijuana in DrugFacts: Marijuana at www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana. What are cannabinoids? Cannabinoids are chemicals related to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), marijuana’s main mind-altering ingredient. Other than THC, the marijuana plant contains more than 100 other cannabinoids. Scientists as well as illegal manufacturers have produced many cannabinoids in the lab. Some of these cannabinoids are extremely powerful and have led to serious health effects when abused. The body also produces its own cannabinoid chemicals. They play a role in regulating pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, body movement, awareness of time, appetite, pain, and the senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight). What is CBD? There is growing interest in the marijuana chemical cannabidiol (CBD) to treat certain conditions such as childhood epilepsy, a disorder that causes a child to have violent seizures. Therefore, scientists have been specially breeding marijuana plants and making CBD in oil form for treatment purposes. These drugs may be less desirable to recreational users because they are not intoxicating. How might cannabinoids be useful as medicine? Currently, the two main cannabinoids from the marijuana plant that are of medical interest are THC and CBD. THC increases appetite and reduces nausea. The FDA-approved THC-based medications are used for these purposes. THC may also decrease pain, inflammation (swelling and redness), and muscle control problems. CBD is a cannabinoid that does not affect the mind or behavior. It may be useful in reducing pain and inflammation, controlling epileptic seizures, and possibly even treating mental illness and addictions. NIH-funded and other researchers are continuing to explore the possible uses of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids for medical treatment. For instance, recent animal studies have shown that marijuana extracts may help kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others. Evidence from one cell culture study suggests that purified extracts from whole-plant marijuana can slow the growth of cancer cells from one of the most serious types of brain tumors. Research in mice showed that treatment with purified extracts of THC and CBD, when used with radiation, increased the cancer-killing effects of the radiation (Scott, 2014). Scientists are also conducting preclinical and clinical trials with marijuana and its extracts to treat numerous diseases and conditions, such as the following: • multiple sclerosis (MS), which causes gradual loss of muscle control • Alzheimer’s disease, which causes loss of brain function, affecting memory, thinking, and behavior • inflammation • pain • seizures • substance use disorders • mental disorders Read more about NIDA’s marijuana research at www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/marijuana/marijuana-research-nida and www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/marijuana/nida-research-therapeutic-benefits-cannabis-cannabinoids. Are People with Health- and Age-Related Problems More Vulnerable to Marijuana’s Risks? Regular medicinal use of marijuana is a fairly new practice. For that reason, its effects on people who are weakened because of age or illness are still relatively unknown. Older people and those suffering from diseases such as cancer or AIDS could be more vulnerable to the drug’s harmful effects. Scientists need to conduct more research to determine if this is the case. What medications contain cannabinoids? Two FDA-approved drugs, dronabinol and nabilone, contain THC. They treat nausea caused by chemotherapy and increase appetite in patients with extreme weight loss caused by AIDS. The United Kingdom, Canada, and several European countries have approved nabiximols (Sativex®), a mouth spray containing THC and CBD. It treats muscle control problems caused by MS. The United States is conducting clinical trials for its safe use in treating cancer pain. Although it has not yet undergone clinical trials, scientists have recently created Epidiolex, a CBD-based liquid drug to treat certain forms of childhood epilepsy. Points to Remember Learn More For more information on marijuana and its health effects, visit: www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana For more information on marijuana and cannabinoid research conducted by NIDA and NIH, visit: www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/marijuana/nida-research-therapeutic-benefits-cannabis-cannabinoids For more information on state laws related to marijuana, visit: References Scott KA, Dalgleish AG, Liu WM. The combination of cannabidiol and Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol enhances the anticancer effects of radiation in an orthotopic murine glioma model. Mol Cancer Ther. 2014;13(12):2955-67. This publication is available for your use and may be reproduced in its entirety without permission from NIDA. Citation of the source is appreciated, using the following language: Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This page was last updated July 2015
However, Loretta Lynch, as Attorney General, is tasked with law enforcement. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is tasked with performing medical and scientific studies regarding substances. http://law.justia.com/codes/us/2014/title-42/chapter-6a/subchapter-ii/part-a/sec.-241/ §241. Research and investigations generally (a) Authority of Secretary The Secretary shall conduct in the Service, and encourage, cooperate with, and render assistance to other appropriate public authorities, scientific institutions, and scientists in the conduct of, and promote the coordination of, research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, and studies relating to the causes, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of physical and mental diseases and impairments of man, including water purification, sewage treatment, and pollution of lakes and streams. [...] http://law.justia.com/codes/us/2014/title-42/chapter-6a/subchapter-ii/part-a/sec.-242/ §242. Studies and investigations on use and misuse of narcotic drugs and other drugs; annual report to Attorney General; cooperation with States (a) In carrying out the purposes of section 241 of this title with respect to drugs the use or misuse of which might result in drug abuse or dependency, the studies and investigations authorized therein shall include the use and misuse of narcotic drugs and other drugs. Such studies and investigations shall further include the quantities of crude opium, coca leaves, and their salts, derivatives, and preparations, and other drugs subject to control under the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.] and Controlled Substances Import and Export Act [21 U.S.C. 951 et seq.], together with reserves thereof, necessary to supply the normal and emergency medicinal and scientific requirements of the United States. The results of studies and investigations of the quantities of narcotic drugs or other drugs subject to control under such Acts, together with reserves of such drugs, that are necessary to supply the normal and emergency medicinal and scientific requirements of the United States, shall be reported not later than the first day of April of each year to the Attorney General, to be used at his discretion in determining manufacturing quotas or importation requirements under such Acts. (b) The Surgeon General shall cooperate with States for the purpose of aiding them to solve their narcotic drug problems and shall give authorized representatives of the States the benefit of his experience in the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of narcotic addicts to the end that each State may be encouraged to provide adequate facilities and methods for the care and treatment of its narcotic addicts.
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana-medicine [spam omitted] Off topic as usual, nolu spam. A government strong enough to impose your standards is strong enough to ban them. Here's something on-topic from the NIDA: 'the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, "harder" substances. Also, cross-sensitization is not unique to marijuana. Alcohol and nicotine also prime the brain for a heightened response to other drugs51 and are, like marijuana, also typically used before a person progresses to other, more harmful substances. 'It is important to note that other factors besides biological mechanisms, such as a person’s social environment, are also critical in a person's risk for drug use. An alternative to the gateway-drug hypothesis is that people who are more vulnerable to drug-taking are simply more likely to start with readily available substances like marijuana, tobacco, or alcohol, and their subsequent social interactions with other substance users increases their chances of trying other drugs.' A government strong enough to impose your standards is strong enough to ban them. "Though it admits “the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, ‘harder’ substances,”
#2. To: Deckard (#0)
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a U.S. federal research institute focused on “[advancing] science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction … to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health.” Though it admits “the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, ‘harder’ substances,” it still describes marijuana as a gateway drug.
DrugFacts: Is Marijuana Medicine?
• autoimmune diseases (diseases that weaken the immune system):
• HIV/AIDS
www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana
www.drugabuse.gov/marijuana-research-nida
www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/state-laws-related-to-marijuana
#3. To: Deckard (#0)
But U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch recently told a group of Kentucky high school students the role of marijuana in the national drug abuse debate has been overstated.
42 U.S.C. § 241 (2014)
42 U.S.C. § 242 (2014)
#4. To: nolu chan, Deckard (#2)
'The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a U.S. federal research institute focused on “[advancing] science on the causes and consequences of drug use and addiction … to apply that knowledge to improve individual and public health.” Though it admits “the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, ‘harder’ substances,” it still describes marijuana as a gateway drug.'
#5. To: nolu chan, Deckard (#4)
Off topic as usual, nolu spam.
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