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U.S. Surgeon General Says It’s Time to Reclassify Marijuana

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U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams says it’s time to reclassify marijuana. He’s not condoning legalization but says that medical marijuana should be studied like other pain relief treatments. Adams also commented that criminal justice policies should be re-examined in regards to marijuana.

Adams believes that reclassifying marijuana would allow for more extensive research to be conducted regarding cannabinoids and marijuana, Forbes reports. The U.S. is falling behind when it comes to marijuana law reform.

“The relevance of the Surgeon General’s call to reschedule cannabis cannot be understated,” said Dr. Mark Rosenfield of ANANDA Scientific. “The chemistry found only in cannabis plants can provide relief across an incredible array of adverse health states. It does this with minimal side effects and with the prospect of being eminently cost-effective in its use.”

Israeli scientists began studying marijuana in the 1960s. Medical marijuana has been legal there for 12 years. Doctors in Israel encourage medical marijuana use as an alternative to pharmaceuticals.

President Jeffrey M. Zucker of Green Lion Partners said, “It’s great to see Surgeon General Adams coming out in support of cannabis reclassification. We still know relatively little about the possible uses of this plant. Our inability to conduct extensive research in the U.S. has led to countries like Canada and Israel jumping far ahead of us before we’ve even really got into it from both scientific and economic perspectives. The discoveries they’re making are life changing for many, and I can only imagine the depth of discovery possible with the US government supporting more research. There are a lot of pharmaceuticals with rough side effects that can potentially be replaced by various forms of cannabis, but it is going to take a focus on science and compassion to get there.”

Garyn Angel of MagicalButter.com said, “As cannabis legalization moves forward globally, we are leaving a huge market opportunity on the table here in the U.S.— there are billions of dollars to be made in research, innovation, cultivation, product development and retail sales. By reclassifying cannabis, the U.S. could potentially capture millions in tax revenue, bolstering our economy and encouraging funding of scientific innovation in the process. Every day that we aren’t working to lead the charge in this new “green rush,” we risk being left behind as the global market grows more sophisticated.”

The DEA has taken one small step forward by rescheduling CBD with 0.1% THC or less as a Schedule V drug.

The federal government has a long way to go but several high-powered lawmakers plan to push for nationwide legalization this year.