Head of the DEA Says 'Marijuana is Not Medicine'

This article originally appeared onThe Fresh Toast

It happened during a speaking engagement in Cleveland, Ohio, one of nearly 30 states to celebrate marijuana for its therapeutic benefits, Rosenberg told those in attendance that his opposing stance on the herb has not changed since the days when he served under President Obama.

"If it turns out that there is something in smoked marijuana that helps people, that's awesome," he said, according to the Washington Examiner. "I will be the last person to stand in the way of that... But let's run it through the Food and Drug Administration process, and let's stick to the science on it."

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Regardless of the legitimate science that has emerged throughout the past several decades suggesting that marijuana could be beneficial in the treatment of various conditions, the federal government continues to lump the plant into the same Schedule I dangerous drug category as heroin - a rank that suggests the herb has no medicinal function.

Yet Uncle Sam has found a way to allow the pharmaceutical industry to thrive in the marketing of "heroin-based" drugs, like oxycodone, by positioning these dangerous, highly addictive substances into a Schedule II classification.

Several attempts have been made throughout the years to get the DEA to downgrade the Schedule I listing of the cannabis plant to one that allows it to be considered medicine, but the agency continues to deny these requests, saying the "decision is based on whether marijuana, as determined by the FDA, is a safe and effective medicine... and it's not."

However, the FDA has blamed outdated policies for its inability to recommend a less restrictive classification. But these rules would need to be revamped by none other than the DEA--and that's not happening anytime soon.

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President Trump said during his campaign that he supports the concept of medical marijuana, yet some of the latest comments coursing through the veins of his administration suggest that the government is far from recognizing cannabis as a legitimate drug.

If Trump truly supports medical marijuana, he would initiate the rescheduling process and finally allow the scientific community to begin exploring the truth behind this plant.

This article originally appeared on The Fresh Toast: a lifestyle and entertainment platform with heaping sides of cannabis--you can read more, here.