Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has introduced an amendment to the appropriations bill that, if passed, would not allow the Department of Justice to use funds from the bill to prevent or delay the approval of an application to research medical marijuana. This past year, the DEA moved to create a new procedure to license more facilities to cultivate marijuana for research after hearing concerns about the lack of quality cannabis for trials. However, since this implementation, the DEA has not acted on any of the applications that have been submitted since the creation of this program in an attempt to keep the already outrageous restrictions.
“Because of marijuana’s draconian schedule 1 status, scientists are hindered in researching its medical potential — and then, because medical research is scarce, its schedule 1 status is upheld. It’s time to break this vicious cycle, and make it easier for researchers to investigate the potential medical uses of cannabis” said Rep. Gaetz. “How many lives throughout the nation could be improved with increased marijuana research — from cancer patients to veterans with PTSD? We do a disservice to them, and to all Americans, by limiting research. The time for change is now.”
Because marijuana is listed as a schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, the federal government does not see it as having any medicinal benefits. Trying to get the DEA to actually act upon these new applications to expand research is extremely difficult and it will be just as difficult to get the DEA accept them. If Gaetz’s proposed amendment is passed, it will make it harder for the DEA to deny these research applications.
In a bipartisan letter, Representatives Gaetz, Rohrabacher (R-CA), Polis (D-CO), and Blumenauer (D-OR) ask Attorney General Jeff Sessions to stop standing in the way of increasing research into marijuana’s medical potential. In the letter, the Representatives write “It is worrisome to think that the Department of Justice, the cornerstone of American civil society, would limit new and potentially groundbreaking research simply because it does not want to follow a rule.”
Medical marijuana is only logical. The US gov is supposed to be for the people and by the people. Why is our gov causing us pain?
Sessions is corrupt as all hell… as is his agenda. I don’t see how reasoned discourse is going to have a positive influence on him. If it could, I imagine it would have happened a long time ago.
Nevertheless, let’s hope I’m mistaken! We’ll find out soon enough.
It’s not Jeff Sessions. The whole problem is Congress and the CSA(controlled substances act).
Cannabis must be removed from the CSA and left up to the individual states to control and regulate in the way they see fit for their state, and by the will of the people in each of the several states.
@ Dave,
There are many problems here, including Jefferson Peckerwood Sessions, and including that retarded assclown Trump who nominated him, and including the racist Republican Senators that confirmed his white cracker ass.
But THE real problem here is the pack of MAGA-type racist idiots that voted for Trump in the first place, and who continues to support the current fascist Nazi-Republican party, and vice-versa.
Wow! Looks like YOU are “the whole problem” here, Dave!
What a low IQ snowflake you must be?
Trump seems to be looking very hard to try to find more money in his budget. So, I would like to suggest getting rid of the DEA. There is no good reason for this organization to continue to exist!
Perhaps the money that has been flowing into the DEA could be used by FEMA. I think that would make a lot more sense.
Founding Father of the United States Thomas Jefferson said, “If people let government decide which foods they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.”
The DEA has not acted on any of the applications that have been submitted since the creation of this program in an attempt to keep the already outrageous restrictions. However, In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right …to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor. (Amendment 6)
Said Rep. Gaetz. “How many lives throughout the nation could be improved with increased marijuana research — from cancer patients to veterans with PTSD? We do a disservice to them, and to all Americans, by limiting research. The time for change is now.” However, Congress shall make no law …abridging … the right of the people … to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (Amendment 1)
Because marijuana is listed as a schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, the federal government does not see it as having any medicinal benefits. However, Congress shall make no law …abridging … the right of the people … to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (Amendment 1)
The Representatives write “It is worrisome to think that the Department of Justice, the cornerstone of American civil society, would limit new and potentially groundbreaking research simply because it does not want to follow a rule.” However, In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right …to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor. (Amendment 6)
What the hell are you talking about? What’s your freaking point?
Jeffy needs to be shut down. He makes a better speed bump than a road block. But refusing to do his job should be cause to fire him. His obsession with punishment sounds like sadism to me, how about the rest of you?
Blame the system not the individual. Didn’t take Sessions to make USA world’s capital of punishment– over 2 million prisoners. Sadism is just a variant of sitlerism.
You’re both right. Sessions deserves to rot in hell, and it’s just too bad there’s no such place! But he would have been just another backwood bigot were it not for the system: the fascist, racist Republicans who put him in power.
It seems as if good amendments and Federal judges are the last hope for saving our Democratic Republic.
Click here to support mmj through the CARERS Act;
http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-legislation-to-protect-medical-marijuana-patients-pending-in-senate-carers-act
A beautiful statement. Thanks.
I jumped into advocacy because of developing CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome – an extremely painful sense like a flamethrower focused on my foot while an unskilled physician is exploring the area with his surgical knife. The barriers I faced in getting the recommended medical marijuana was punishing. I must share with my community that the myths are lies and more research is essential ASAP????
Are there others out there with CRPS? Let’s all get on board this campaign.