Who Doesn’t Want Marijuana Rescheduling?
Many cannabis proponents would have been happier with entirely removing marijuana from the lists of controlled substances, rather than rescheduling. But things are as they are. It’s more than clear that legalization is not a linear process. It’s not bringing things from point A to point Z in one simple and smooth move. Putting cannabis under Schedule III is a historic moment in its own right. And needless to say, there are those who’ve opposed this development from day one. Unfortunately, those are groups who fully stand against marijuana legalization.
Cannabis has many enemies. One of the worst types are those who are willing to pay hefty sums of money just to challenge the federal marijuana rescheduling effort. Such an unwise way to exercise your democratic rights.Â
Just hours after it emerged that the DEA is motioning a process to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, away from dangerous drugs like heroin, and with that to finally acknowledge the medicinal benefits of the plant, a prominent group that stands against marijuana legalization already started to congregate and crowdfund money online in a bid to fight the policy change.Â
The name of the group is Smart Approaches to Marijuana, or shortened SAM. So, uncle Sam wants to oppose marijuana policy change at every level, and to do so they have been asking their followers to donate a few bucks.Â
Opponents Keep Saying that Cannabis is Threat to Public Health
The SAM group has launched a special “Rescheduling Legal Defense Fund” where the available donation options range from $250 and all the way to $5,000. (Hey, pardon your nice holiday to Barbados, do you have $5,000 to oppose marijuana legalization? My life depends on it). Of course, if you want, if you are so against people who giggle after they get a little high, you can donate much much more to this group. You can sell a kidney if you want and donate the money to that cause. There’s really no limit to what you can do to support the cause.Â
On its front page, the group highlights that they’re “protecting the public from marijuana commercialization” and that they are to hold “big marijuana accountable.”Â
“SAM’s primary focus is educating the public about the harms of marijuana legalization,” it says on the website, and it goes on to describe legalization as a “policy which has consistently placed corporate profits and addiction ahead of public health.”Â
Clicking “Donate” on the website’s menu leads to another sticky message that says, “Our new Rescheduling Legal Defense Fund will be used to support our challenges of marijuana laws and regulations, specifically marijuana’s Schedule III recommendation.”Â
Rescheduling will remove a significant tax burden for cannabis companies, which the group also views as problematic. For cannabis operators this would indeed be one of the biggest gains. It’s worth noting that, with all the financial problems the industry is facing, only a small fraction of weed businesses are profitable.Â
A report from last year revealed that less than 25% of cannabis businesses are profitable, representing a devastating fall from the 42% profitable the year before that. With rescheduling, cannabis businesses should be at least freed from settling the unfair and controversial 280E tax code.Â
The SAM group is also worried that rescheduling will boost the proliferation of high potency products. Which we’ve heard it all before. Is there a point to remind ourselves once again that while you might die from heavy and excessive drinking of legal alcohol, that scenario would never occur from smoking too much weed, including weed in its most potent forms. Certainly, smoking too much can be troublesome, but every mature individual probably knows what is best for them and how much THC they can tolerate.Â
Campaigning against legalization is doing more damage than good obviously. Heightened regulation guarantees safer and tested products, with clear labeling what’s in a product. It also ensures equal opportunities for those most affected by the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs wasn’t very successful. It wasn’t cheap either. It caused enormous damage, unleashing injustice to minority groups across the nation. We’ve merely started to reverse the significant disproportional damage caused from the old drugs laws. If anyone wants to donate to groups like SAM, it’s donating to revert back the little progress that has been made. It’s like pulling back the War on Drugs. And truth be told, nobody wants to go back to that unhappy time in the nation’s history.Â
Also read on Soft Secrets:
-Â US Will List Cannabis as Soft Drug
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Stephen Andrews
