Marijuana has a lower potential for abuse than other drugs that are subjected to the same restrictions, with scientific support for its use as a medical treatment, researchers from the US Food and Drug Administration say in documents supporting its reclassification as a Schedule III substance.

Marijuana is currently classified as Schedule I, reserved for the most dangerous controlled substances, including heroin and LSD. In 2022, President Joe Biden asked US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and the attorney general to begin the administrative process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law. HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Adm. Rachel Levine wrote a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration in August in which she supported the reclassification to Schedule III, a list that includes “drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence” such as ketamine, testosterone and Tylenol with codeine.

Rescheduling marijuana could open up more avenues for research, allow cannabis businesses to bank more freely and openly, and have firms no longer subject to a 40-year-old tax code that disallows credits and deductions from income generated by sales of Schedule I and II substances.

  • Snot Flickerman
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    11 months ago

    America, where opening your mind is considered just as dangerous as ruining your life and health.

    • RuBisCO@slrpnk.net
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      11 months ago

      Psychedelics are illegal not because a loving government is concerned that you may jump out of a third story window. Psychedelics are illegal because they dissolve opinion structures and culturally laid down models of behaviour and information processing. They open you up to the possibility that everything you know is wrong.

      Terence McKenna

    • ZeroCool@slrpnk.net
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      11 months ago

      I took acid once. I giggled a lot and led my friends on an “adventure” into my backyard where we played hacky sack until it got dark enough to watch the stars. It was awful! You don’t want no part of this shit, Dewey!

        • remotelove@lemmy.ca
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          11 months ago

          Psychedelics are awesome. If you don’t have much experience with them, keep it to a moderate dose. I eat mushrooms quite a bit and a single dose at +5g would rock my world still.

          In a healthy environment with a healthy mindset, you can discover a ton about yourself and how your mind works. Or, you can just have fun and socialize.

          I use mushrooms medicinally and recreationally. If I want to chill and meditate I can. If I want to be social and have fun, I can. Regardless of my mood, they have been an awesome tool for managing my anxiety, social anxiety and depression. Best of all, it has been a key component in my recovery from alcoholism.

          They are not for everyone, unfortunately. If you are not prepared for an accidental high dosage, it can be challenging. (There is so much variability in mushrooms, it can happen. Not so much with with substances like LSD.)

      • Jay@lemmy.ca
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        11 months ago

        I used to love acid when I was younger. I bought 30 hits of blotter just for my 18th birthday for me and my friends. Never hallucinated like some people claim but had tons of energy and it made everything feel so… real? and vibrant. Shrooms were cool but just not nearly on the same level.

        You definitely want to plan ahead and make sure you’re surrounded by good company and plenty to do beforehand though.

        • Nastybutler@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Of all the drugs I’ve done, which isn’t too many, acid is my favorite. Haven’t done it since I was in college over 20 years ago. If I knew how to get my hands on some, I’d consider doing it again occasionally. Best body high I’ve ever had.

          • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            I loved acid but I would never do it again at my age (50s). Even back in my youth I thought the experience lasted way too long - I was always ready to come back down and sleep and contemplate my experiences long before the drug started to wear off.

          • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            Apparently the dark/deep web is remarkably reliable. At least it used to be, not sure if that’s still the case. I kinda want to get some Bitcoin or whatever they’re using to get a drone delivery of acid, but that would be way too much acid.

    • Socsa@sh.itjust.works
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      11 months ago

      Tbf, this is hardly unique to the US, and a handful of states are actually decriminalizing some psychedelics now. Not sure where else in the world is doing that.