Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Cannabis Destigmatization (Health Benefits from Cannabis (Study from Webb…
Cannabis Destigmatization
Health Benefits from Cannabis
Studies show no sign of long-term harm (unless in kids).
Safer than all leisure substances, and other prescribed medication
Can do what prescription meds can do without addiction, cheaper, safer overall.
Study from Webb – reported to have actual effects against chronic pain.
Calls for deschedulization
No reports of overdose - need to ingest around 1,500 pounds in fifteen minutes to overdose.
Tons of health benefits - chronic pain, glaucoma, nausea, killing cancer, etc.
It’s extremely easy to prescribe opiates which have high potential for addiction—contributes to heroin overdose epidemic
Solutions
EDUCATION of history and medicinal promise
(Education – awareness – spread of awareness – passion and action – changes in policy – more research and funding – better medicinal alternatives to prescription meds – potential treatment/cure for cancer-beneficial for countless of other ailments)
Public perception is what got marijuana scheduled on a wrong basis, improving this can help it become deschedulized.
o Absurd because something intangible like racism is why it got placed there. Racism is the biggest social debate, can’t have one and not the other, everyone needs to know about racist history even though you don’t partake in or support cannabis.
Education is easy because it can be done through word of mouth – education should change mindset and hopefully inspire to spread awareness.
People who smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol contribute to the idea that it’s okay to do these things, but also to the companies that are making money and using that money to lobby. You don’t have to quit either of these (athough you should), but the awareness is what is key.
When you are in the position where you need some medicine that could be subsitituted with cannabis, wouldn’t you rather have the safer, cheaper option? you never know when you’ll be placed in a situation where legalization could have benefitted you. (medical, carrying small amounts, etc).
No longer considered a gateway drug.
Appeal to people in power to either privately fund research or help loosen laws or deschedulize.
Deschedulize because Schedule I says the substances must have no medical value but it does.
Also cannot research because of scheduling, current cannabis used for research is very low grade
Lobbyists Who Support Cannabis Legalization
Five largest groups: Big Pharma, Alcohol and Tobacco companies, For-profit prisons, prison guard unions, and Police Unions
Big Pharma: cannabis can do what opiates can do without risk of addiction and is safer, but these companies are making millions off of prescribing them so they lobby to keep cannabis illegal
Cannabis as a Schedule I Drug
Introduction of history – Nixon with War on Drugs and “Controlled Substance Act” started the scheduling
Five Levels
"Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse". (From DEA website)
"Schedule II drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a high potential for abuse, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. These drugs are also considered dangerous".
"Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs but more than Schedule IV".
"Schedule IV drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a low potential for abuse and low risk of dependence".
"Schedule V drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with lower potential for abuse than Schedule IV and consist of preparations containing limited quantities of certain narcotics. Schedule V drugs are generally used for antidiarrheal, antitussive, and analgesic purposes".
At first, Nixon didn’t know where to put cannabis, put as I and “subject to review”.
Nixon Administration formed commission to conduct research.
Came out with reports that said less harm, indeed has medical value, should be illegal but okay to carry small amounts.
Results rejected because of racism from public perception at the time
Halts research
Bureaucratic pressure keeps it there
Tax Revenue From Recreational Cannabis Sales
Colorado’s tax revenue made millions – most of it was used for education.
There is potential for a lot of funding to be made for various aspects that need the money; education, jobs, infrastructure, etc.
Revenue is not only steady, growing exponentially.
Cannabis Stigma
History – stigma started in Mexico
Stigma adopted by American society through racism – seen as lower class (majority of smokers were Mexican and black).
Mexican prisoners used cannabis because of harsh prison condition from dictator at the time – linked to causing delirium and inducing violence, bad for mental health.
Indigenous peoples used for rituals – seen as undermining to modernity and development.
Linked to violence and madness
Why is it socially acceptable to drink liquor and smoke cigarettes? Those have science-backed evidence of so much harm, deaths – no reported deaths from marijuana.
Loosened laws will not directly affect you if you don't smoke.
We’ve gotten used to cigarette smoke, we can with cannabis.
You don’t have to partake to help.