On a federal level, should the government treat marijuana as a medicine or an illegal drug. (heroin, cocaine)

[Hombre_Corriendo]

Moderator note: This thread was created by taking a couple of posts from a thread on another subject

Originally Posted by Nepenthe

You are probably right that the age won't be lowered. However, states go against the Feds all the time. Colorado and Washington recreational cannabis legalization? Half the states legalizing medicinal cannabis despite the Federal Government still having the long-standing position that cannabis has NO accepted medical usage and is in fact more tightly scheduled and controlled than crack cocaine and methamphetamine? And loads of other issues as well.

Actually, the federal government does NOT deny that cannabis indeed possesses some medicinal value. It's just that, as a whole, they don't feel it should be made as legal as alcohol in view of the myriad problems that legalization would incur. (and in fact already has! Go read about some of the problems that CO and WA have already experienced.)

To say that the Gov places pot in the realms of crack and meth is absurd. The laws are far, far, harsher for those drugs than for cannabis. Hell, in my state, kids are getting five years prison time for getting busted with a mere $10 worth of meth. My state puts meth in it's own, nefarious category insofar as drug-laws and their mandated penalties are. And our crack laws are just almost as harsh.
But anything less then an ounce of pot will sometimes just get you a ticket and a court date.
True: states contravene federal wishes once in awhile, but not nearly as often as you may think. (Again, you need to Google "does Government penalize states for not following their laws?"--or something along those lines, and you will see that the reprisals Uncle can bestow on wayward states are often harsh enough to dissuade them.)

Uncle has already put the hammer down a couple times in CO & WA, by busting pot clinics, a couple times with fully-armed SWAT teams!

[Nepenthe]

Originally Posted by Hombre_Corriendo

Actually, the federal government does NOT deny that cannabis indeed possesses some medicinal value.

I would challenge that. Although the FDA does believe there is potential for a few cannabinoids, if they were to be completely isolated and synthesized and turned into a pill after being subjected to 15 years of testing and trials, to have some limited medical usage, the overall stance of the Federal Government at large and the Drug Enforcement Agency in particular is that there is no evidence of any benefit attributable to cannabis.

It is also true that Crack and Meth, per the Federal Government (FDA and DEA), are listed as having currently accepted medical use in treatment in the US or currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions (aka Schedule II) while Cannabis is listed as having no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the US (aka Schedule I). Individual states do pursue individualized drug interdiction policies (here in Texas marijuana grants you virtually no leniency over LSD, cocaine, meth, heroin, etc.), but this remains the position of the US Gov.

[Restrain]

The US House has introduced legislation decriminalizing cannibus with low THC levels but with high oils content (Charlottes Web laws). It is expected to pass the House. A law was also passed allowing the study of hemp by state universities, and when the DEA seized seeds destined for the University of Kentucky, funding for interdiction of hemp seeds was stricken from the DEA.

Modernization of laws is proceeding, although slowly.

[OhZone]

Medicine or illegal drug?
Neither.
They should just repeal all laws of prohibition.
It is a natural plant.
The problems all began when they made it illegal. Before that it was common and it was a cash crop for many uses, but I don't think it was sold for people to smoke. The canvas on the covered wagons was made of hemp fiber, as were flags.

Truth is that the Feds are the biggest drug dealers and they don't want to lose the income.

The Fraudulent Criminalization of Marijuana in America | Global Research

[Nepenthe]

I thought this was an interesting idea: Why the government needs to sell drugs

Basically, it's a compelling argument for why the Federal Government should begin selling all recreational drugs as well as a brief exploration of how that would work. Definitely outside-the-box thinking.

[EddieOlSkool]

I have not found any compelling reasons why marijuana should not be legalized.

Arguments such as "it impairs motor skills", "it causes an altered state", "we don't know the long term health effects" are weak in my opinion as they can be applied to many legal drugs including alcohol.

In my opinion, quit overcrowding our prisons with weed offenders and put real criminals inside.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Hombre_Corriendo

On a federal level, should the government treat marijuana as a medicine or an illegal drug.

It should do NEITHER of these.

As a natural state ag product it should be legal by defaul.
So if anything... it should be under the auspices of the USDA.
Monitoring crops and imports for quality. That sort of thing.

Distribution/Sale? A very light hand.
Just enough to assure that the too young aren't sold.

That should do it.

[Bideshi]

The government should treat it as a plant that occurs naturally all over the world. The government should have no interest in it at all.

[Memphis1979]

On a federal level it should be unprohibited.

Let the states decide. People take "medicine" for all kinds of ailments and conditions. What that medicine is, if its hurting no one else, is of no business of the federal government. States can do as they choose.

[2nd trick op]

Originally Posted by Bideshi

The government should treat it as a plant that occurs naturally all over the world. The government should have no interest in it at all.

And what applies for marijuana should also apply for tobacco -- just don't come running and whining to Big Brother if the unwise use of the stuff has negative consequences for the user. It's your mess, and you can clean it up.