![\"pot_activist_canna_chronicle\"](\"http:\/\/cannachronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/pot_activist_canna_chronicle.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nChances are, you’ve seen them before – the marijuana activists.<\/p>\n
You might think\u00a0that marijuana leaves people lazy, stuck to the couch, or just mellow and peaceful. Contrary to these\u00a0commomly\u00a0held assumptions, the marijuana activists are full of energy. Not all marijuana activists use marijuana, but every marijuana activist certainly shares a passion to put an end to prohibition in one way or another.<\/p>\n
Whether you’ve seen them at a rally or an event, at the polls, or just arguing facts with a few friends, they all seem to be so pissed off about something.<\/p>\n
What are they so pissed about? Why are they so inspired and passionate to change what seems to be such a silly law?<\/p>\n
Here are five reasons why the marijuana activists are so upset:<\/p>\n
1.\u00a0Marijuana is Classified as a Schedule I Drug.<\/h3>\n
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency\u2019s website, drugs that are classified as Schedule\u00a0I substances are considered to have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. For a drug to be considered a Schedule II substance, it is thought to have a\u00a0high potential for abuse, less abuse potential than Schedule I drugs, with use potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence. Marijuana shares its Schedule I status with heroin. Drugs like cocaine, Oxycodone, and Vicodin are considered Schedule\u00a0II.<\/p>\n
2.\u00a0There are Obvious Medical\u00a0Uses for Marijuana.<\/h3>\n
Contrary to the D.E.A.\u2019s classification system, many states have decided to legalize medical marijuana. Before it was made illegal, it was widely used in most medicines and was a \u201cmust have\u201d for medical doctors to carry in their medical bags.<\/p>\n
One of the most common rebuttals to the last point is that \u201cthere isn\u2019t enough research\u201d to support marijuana as a medicine. This is actually the wrong way to say it. The correct way is: \u201cThere isn\u2019t enough clinical research!”<\/p>\n At this point, it’s hard to dispute marijuana as having medicinal benefits, but there isn\u2019t enough research to show how it can be most effectively used as a medicine. In fact, there are more preclinical studies on cannabis than any other drug that I can think of. To prove it, go to\u00a0www.pubmed.gov<\/a>\u00a0and type in the word cannabis.<\/p>\n As of this writing, a search for “medical marijuana” \u00a0generates roughly 14,000 results on the web. These results include thousands of scientific studies and clinical trials which illustrate the medicinal benefits of cannabis.<\/p>\n The main reason why this is so upsetting is that whenever the legislature says, \u201cThere isn\u2019t enough research”,\u00a0it’s normally in response to, \u201cWhy not legalize medical marijuana?\u201d or \u201cWhy not deschedule marijuana?\u201d But clinical studies aren’t legally able to take place until marijuana is removed as a Schedule I drug!<\/p>\n Look it up for yourself, it\u2019s true! Labeled US 6630507 B1, the United States Government holds a patent on marijuana (or more specifically on cannabinoids, which are the main components of the cannabis plant) as antioxidants and neuroprotectants.<\/p>\n But wait! Isn\u2019t that a contradiction? The\u00a0US government holds the patent for medical marijuana in one hand and holds its Schedule I status in the other!<\/p>\n Synthetic cannabinoids, like marinol, are currently being prescribed in the US.<\/p>\n First off, \u00a0you say that cannabis has no medical value and then you synthetically make cannabinoids and sell them for their medical value. That is a contradiction in and of itself. But to classify these synthetic cannabinoids,\u00a0which are extremely similar to their plant-made counterparts, as a Schedule III substance is just plain hypocrisy!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n3.\u00a0There’s Plenty of Research to Support Medical Marijuana.<\/h3>\n
4.\u00a0The U.S. Government Holds a Patent on the Medical Uses of Marijuana.<\/h3>\n
\u00a05.\u00a0Synthetic Cannabinoids are Schedule III Substances.<\/h3>\n