Letter: Time to admit pot isn’t a Schedule 1 drug

Despite what the DOJ says, there is no scientific proof that marijuana should be a Schedule 1 drug.

For centuries, many cultures had considered marijuana as a medicine and a relaxant. It wasn’t until the 1930s that the media had spread false claims about the “evils” of the plant and used those claims as a way to discriminate against Mexican immigrants and men of color. This discrimination of marijuana has been with us ever since then.

In March of 1972, the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse issued a series of reports. Their findings stated, “Considering the range of social concerns in contemporary America, marijuana does not, in our considered judgment, rank very high. We would de-emphasize marijuana as a problem.”

Of course, the government decided to ignore this fact and kept it as a Schedule 1. Then it proceeded for the next 40-some years to put the fear and spread false claims of the drug to every generation after that.

It is time to stop the discrimination against cannabis and let it exist for those who want to enjoy it and those who can benefit from its affects.

This story was originally published January 5, 2018 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Letter: Time to admit pot isn’t a Schedule 1 drug."