Cannabis News
Your Government Doesn’t Represent You Anymore
How to Know for sure your Government doesn’t represent you!
When two people decide to build a partnership, open communication and transparency typically serve as the bedrocks of trust. Vulnerability breeds connection. Yet when it comes to the machinations of the state, opacity appears the modus operandi – often to the detriment of the people subjected to un visible power.
Nowhere does this penchant for concealment seem more perverse than in the spectacle of redaction surrounding cannabis prohibition, where the public remains barred from insights on policies determining what benign plants they can utilize. The lengths government goes to restrict access reveals the degree it fears an informed populace.
While reasonable minds can debate necessary secrecy in areas of defense to protect strategic interests, the reflex towards occlusion in benign cultural issues demands deeper critique. What truths threaten so profoundly that the state’s first impulse is to classify, sanitize and cherry pick data to prevent discourse? Perhaps most alarmingly, what informal doctrines require such assiduous perception control and manufacturing of consent?
When governmental agencies feel empowered to broadly determine fact from fancy for adult consumers regarding comparatively harmless substances, seemingly answerable only to themselves, warning bells should sound. Power derived from the people requires accountability TO people, with proportional justification for curtains drawn.
Alas, the recent documents around cannabis policy consist largely of scribbles, scratches and wholesale omissions. Mostly, readers find an abyss where rigor should reign. The redactions speak volumes compared to their vacant contents – affirming the agency’s tenuous interest in science or truth-seeking. This filters policy through layered agendas disengaged from practical reality.
Ultimately the DEA’s censored files betray insecurity, not security. Their reluctance suggests awareness that prohibition rationale cannot survive open scrutiny. In essence, secrecy shields critical flaws and overreaches from public accountability. If transparent governance requires informed citizens, in areas like drug policy ignorance becomes strength…for the bureaucrats. But it makes citizens powerless spectators, not partners, in determining the laws controlling their lives.
So what are they hiding?
While speculation runs rampant regarding specific content hidden behind DEA redactions, even the visible fragments in recently released documents prove telling. They affirm that the health establishment acknowledges accepted medical use and evolving scientific attitudes around cannabis – even as prohibitionists desperately throttle transparency around formal acknowledgement.
Broadly, the unredacted content suggests federal health authorities now recognize modern research necessitates rescheduling. The past denial cited hinged largely on explicitly repudiating any accepted medical value according to science at the time. Officials now admit “considerable data” shows otherwise.
Yet line after line blacked out prevents public review of the exact science guiding this reversal toward Schedule III admission. If the data demonstrated and reasoning conveyed genuinely pointed to greater therapeutic understanding – rather than mostly underscoring cannabis’ comparative safety – why shroud it in darkness? Who or what suffers from illuminating truth?
Perhaps most revealingly, health authorities concede determining definitive “abuse potential” remains contentious, given “many dimensions” comprising risk profiles. This complexity confounds absolutist scheduling. Any intellectually honest, evidence-based approach allows for nuanced balancing of benefits versus consequences. Yet obfuscation suggests entrenched agendas still masquerading as impartial concern.
Additionally, the public sections document federal reticence to acknowledge state legal medical and recreational policies as guidelines for reform. Government feigning objectivity while dismissing broader legislative trends proves all rhetoric, no reconcilliation. It affirms bureaucratic indifference to public will in favor of perpetuating outdated institutional biases.
The paltry details visible merely frame more obscured evidence that current science and state-level democracy further repudiate and erode longtime federal cannabis prohibition. That we cannot fully parse officials’ interpretations of that increasingly undeniable consensus spotlights profound distrust between transparent governance and controlling interests wishing to bottle inconvenient truths.
What becomes abundantly clear is that the status quo rejects tools of free thought itself – open inquiry, shareable data, peer review, evidentiary analysis, democratically guided policy – to sustain myopic worldviews forged decades prior, now dressed in modern camouflage.
While definitive proof remains redacted, all signs suggest undue pharmaceutical influence steering the DEA’s restrictive handling of cannabis scheduling. The excessive redactions themselves affirm a bureaucratic playing field drastically tilted against open scientific inquiry into therapeutic plant potential. And the product of this opaque process – suggesting movement to Schedule III, not unscheduling – reeks of concessions to patent-protected corporate interests, not liberated consumer welfare.
The DEA has effectively served as pharma’s enforcement arm from inception by granting economic control via restrictive scheduling. The criteria for Schedules I through V make clear that approved medicinal status depends on profitable synthetic mimics from industry, while naturally derived treatments are dismissed as having no medical value by default. This extraordinary claim requires extraordinary evidence the DEA certainly does not provide.
Worse still, the CSA’s scheduling standards explicitly favor pharmaceutical testing investments as indicators of “potential” abuse before gathering data on actual harm. This market barrier conveniently narrows access to capital intensive labs alone. The DEA’s secretive referral to HHS and FDA perpetuates this cycle by empowering agencies captured by those they presume to regulate.
Even the language around marijuana’s “accepted medical use” in released docs exposes linguistic gymnastics that could only come from bureaucrats 1930’s mindset and pharma lobbyists. Scientifically, the case against medical efficacy dissolved decades ago. Yet outdated institutions churn familiar mud, leaving criminalization the status quo for extra security.
So make no mistake – rescheduling to Schedule III means nothing but a pharma power grab to control cannabis through restrictive federal permits, encumber small providers with needless red tape, and secure patented profits over unpatentable wellness solutions. It offers no true progress from prohibition, only a cover-up consolidating corporatism.
As long as market access depends on appeasing the DEA’s clandestine corporate advisory committees, cannabis remains suppressed not on scientific grounds, but for threatening the medical monopoly by providing an alternative.
In this sense, full de- or re-scheduling is the only sensible option aligned with social benefit over protectionism. But the DEA’s secrecy proves they cannot be trusted as an impartial arbiter of evidentiary drug classifications. Time has exposed their complicity in magnifying corporate riches over consumer choice or public health. We must discard terms handed down by discredited technocrats, not become beholden to them.
Cannabis simply does not conform to the narrow constructs of scheduled substances under the CSA criteria. As a cultivated flowering plant with multifaceted uses, it resists nearly all attempts to classify, quantify or control it so uniformly. Its diversity of applications and effects make cannabis functionally unlike any other listed drug, demanding an entirely bespoke approach beyond dated prohibitions – namely complete de-scheduling.
The folly of attempting to legislate cannabis akin to concentrated compounds or lethal toxins ignores thousands of years of documented medical, spiritual and recreational usage meeting human needs. No society on earth ever deemed it so hazardous as to criminalize until political machinations in the 1920s-30s, culminating in the nefarious Marihuana Tax Act. Path dependency brought us to this point, not evidence.
In effect, cannabis blurs standard lines, possessing open-ended potential as medicine, sacrament, recreational amenity, textile, food source and artistic muse simultaneously. It serves broad roles legal drugs like alcohol cannot, while lacking the acute toxicity of most illicit compounds. This resists all analogies.
Placing such a protean substance in a siloed regulatory straightjacket compounds errors and constraints. It shoehorns living potential into a capitalist framework demanding standardization for commodification. But cannabis and its derivatives morph with breeders’ artistry and consumers’ intent, escaping rigid designation.
Its essence is variability – across strains, individuals, methods, mindsets ad infinitum – not pharmaceutical uniformity. Cannabis provides experiences, not static products. Hence rescheduling it recognizes no true medical, ethical or practical imperative beyond appeasing outdated technocrats. Doing so merely brings antiquated policies another step towards reckoning with the futile, destructive nature overpowering peaceful herb culture.
With no public safety nor moral cause for scheduling, the onus lies on prohibitionists to conclusively demonstrate cannabis possession demands state criminalization while alcohol merits legal access. They cannot source consistent facts, but rather invoke claims to “protect” people from deciding individually – ironically the core danger of the policy. Removing cultural experience from citizens’ hands belies fundamental distrust and insecurity around personal autonomy.
In this sense, cannabis must not inch policy chains further, even to Schedule III permitting. The appropriate schedule status is NONE, its appropriate authority OVER ONESELF. By what moral standard or empirical evidence does anyone justify limiting access to herbs, fungi and cacti meeting basic needs?
The only sane pathway is fully deregulating and descheduling this culturally embedded botanical ally. Anything less harnesses the violence of law enforcement to interfere with individual choices, communal traditions, and market innovations better left unbridled. The onus lies on sole regulators to conclusively, transparently demonstrate acute danger. In cannabis’ case, claims to protection grow absurd against thousands of years of continuous evidence.
The people never required nor requested such oversight on nature’s cornucopia. The time has come to cease useful fictions that enable meddlesome prohibitions eroding freedom over falsified threats. Cannabis is for the people to explore as they see fit individually and collectively. No law can suppress its flowering from the human spirit.
When examining the DEA’s veiled documents around proposed marijuana rescheduling, the sticky truth remains – the feds’ flaky rationale for maintaining prohibition cannot withstand transparency. Thus secrecy tries filling voids where facts fail.
Rather than illuminate, authorities shade data and processes enabling legitimate inquiry into acceptable botanical use. What started as manipulation of public opinion now hides as bureaucratic hubris too insecure to reveal itself fully. So instead they traffic in bigrams, anticipating obedience over outrage. Such arrogance courts revolt.
Make no mistake; attempts at rescheduling cannabis to appease reform interests fundamentally mock calls for genuine freedom. They expect applause for tightening shackles ever so slightly, as if we will forget decades of propaganda and millions jailed over personal choices concerning helpful plants. Do not be placated.
Authorities have shown willingness to impose the violence of law on peaceful herb culture, not remove its oppression. Their legitimacy expired long ago through unethical dishonesty serving corporate profits over public benefit. Bid government prattle farewell; citizens will freely utilize cannabis howsoever we choose, with no futile laws limiting personal dominion or community tradition.
Total deregulation and descheduling remains the only moral remedy to devastating, racist campaigns inflicting police brutality over arbitrarily demonized vegetation. Expecting compromise emboldens mass injustice. Thus conscientious people should treat emerging permits, regulations and restrictions as paper tigers roarless before autonomous dignity.
The choice remains starkly simple: Shall we beg to authorities already exposed as liars and profiteers to kindly allow slight progress buying off dissent? Or shall we unflinchingly conduct our cannabis affairs by natural right with no futile chains limiting mindful personal conduct or market fruitfulness?
Either a right exists inherently or not at all. The wanton legal fiction of permitting government censorship, seizure and assault over cannabis is finished. The sticky truth outs at last – reefer madness makes madmen of us all, and the public deserves far better. This plant will remain free.
RESCHEDULING CANNABIS, READ ON…
Cannabis News
Latest Trump Weed Rumor – Trump Will Federally Deschedule and Decriminalize Cannabis, but Not Legalize It
In a recent interview, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie made headlines by asserting that President-elect Donald Trump will pursue significant reforms in federal policies regarding marijuana and cryptocurrency. As the nation grapples with evolving attitudes toward cannabis and the burgeoning digital currency market, Christie’s predictions have ignited discussions about the potential implications of such changes on both industries. This article delves into Christie’s insights, the current state of marijuana and cryptocurrency regulations, and the broader implications of these anticipated reforms.
The Current Landscape of Marijuana Legislation
Federal vs. State Laws
Marijuana remains classified as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which places it in the same category as heroin and LSD. This classification has created a complex legal landscape where states have moved to legalize cannabis for medical and recreational use, while federal law continues to impose strict prohibitions. As of now, over 30 states have legalized marijuana in some form, leading to a burgeoning industry that generates billions in revenue.
Challenges Faced by the Cannabis Industry
Despite its legality in many states, the cannabis industry faces significant hurdles due to federal restrictions. These challenges include:
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Banking Access: Many banks are hesitant to work with cannabis businesses due to fear of federal repercussions, forcing these businesses to operate largely in cash.
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Taxation Issues: The IRS enforces Section 280E of the tax code, which prohibits businesses engaged in illegal activities from deducting normal business expenses, leading to disproportionately high tax burdens for cannabis companies.
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Interstate Commerce: The lack of federal legalization prevents cannabis businesses from operating across state lines, limiting their growth potential.
Chris Christie’s Perspective on Marijuana Reform
Christie, a former presidential candidate known for his tough stance on drugs during his tenure as governor, has evolved his views on marijuana over the years. In his recent statements, he emphasized that Trump is likely to pursue descheduling cannabis, which would remove it from the Schedule I classification. This move would not only provide clarity for businesses operating in legal markets but also open avenues for banking and investment.
Christie highlighted that descheduling would allow for a more regulated market where safety standards could be established, thus protecting consumers. He believes that this approach aligns with a growing consensus among Americans who support legalization and recognize the potential benefits of cannabis use for both medical and recreational purposes.
The Future of Cryptocurrency Regulation = The Rise of Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies have surged in popularity over the past decade, with Bitcoin leading the charge as the first decentralized digital currency. The market has expanded to include thousands of alternative coins (altcoins), each with unique features and use cases. As cryptocurrencies gain traction among investors and consumers alike, regulatory scrutiny has intensified.
Current Regulatory Challenges
The cryptocurrency market faces several regulatory challenges that hinder its growth and adoption:
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Lack of Clarity: Regulatory frameworks vary significantly across states and countries, creating confusion for investors and businesses.
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Fraud and Scams: The rapid growth of cryptocurrencies has led to an increase in fraudulent schemes targeting unsuspecting investors.
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Consumer Protection: Without clear regulations, consumers are often left vulnerable to risks associated with volatile markets.
Christie’s Vision for Crypto Regulation
Christie believes that under Trump’s leadership, there will be an effort to find a “sweet spot” for cryptocurrency regulation balancing innovation with consumer protection. He argues that overly stringent regulations could stifle growth in this emerging sector while too little oversight could expose consumers to significant risks.
In his view, a balanced regulatory framework would include:
1. Clear Definitions: Establishing clear definitions for different types of cryptocurrencies and tokens to differentiate between securities and utility tokens.
2. Consumer Protections: Implementing measures to protect investors from fraud while promoting transparency within the market.
3. Encouraging Innovation: Creating an environment conducive to innovation by allowing startups to thrive without excessive regulatory burdens.
Christie’s insights reflect a growing recognition among policymakers that cryptocurrencies are here to stay and that appropriate regulations are necessary to foster growth while safeguarding consumers.
Implications of Proposed Reforms
Economic Impact
The potential reforms proposed by Christie could have far-reaching economic implications:
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Job Creation: Legalizing marijuana at the federal level could lead to significant job creation within the cannabis industry—from cultivation and production to retail sales.
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Investment Opportunities: Descheduling cannabis would open up investment opportunities for institutional investors who have been hesitant due to federal restrictions.
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Boosting Local Economies: Legal cannabis markets have proven beneficial for local economies through increased tax revenues and job creation.
Similarly, clear regulations around cryptocurrencies could stimulate investment in blockchain technology and related industries, fostering innovation and economic growth.
Social Justice Considerations
Both marijuana legalization and sensible cryptocurrency regulations have social justice implications:
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Addressing Past Injustices: Legalizing marijuana could help rectify past injustices related to drug enforcement policies that disproportionately affected marginalized communities.
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Financial Inclusion: Cryptocurrencies offer opportunities for financial inclusion for those underserved by traditional banking systems, particularly in low-income communities.
Political Landscape
The political landscape surrounding these issues is complex. While there is bipartisan support for marijuana reform among certain lawmakers, challenges remain in overcoming entrenched opposition. Similarly, cryptocurrency regulation has garnered attention from both sides of the aisle but requires collaboration to establish effective frameworks.
Conclusion
Chris Christie’s predictions about President-elect Donald Trump’s approach to federal marijuana descheduling and cryptocurrency regulation suggest a potential shift in U.S. policy that could significantly reshape both industries. As public opinion evolves on these issues, lawmakers have an opportunity to enact meaningful reforms that promote economic growth while ensuring consumer protection. The anticipated changes could foster a more robust cannabis industry that contributes positively to the economy and addresses social justice concerns, while clear regulatory frameworks for cryptocurrencies could encourage innovation and protect consumers in the digital economy. Stakeholders in both sectors are closely watching these developments, eager to see how potential reforms might impact their futures. While the realization of Christie’s predictions remains uncertain, it’s clear that the conversation around marijuana and cryptocurrency regulation is ongoing and far from settled.
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“How Long Does One Puff of Weed Stay in Your System?”… This topic can be difficult to answer since it is dependent on elements such as the size of the hit and what constitutes a “one hit.” If you take a large bong pull then cough, it might linger in your system for 5-7 days. A moderate dose from a joint can last 3-5 days, whereas a few hits from a vaporizer may last 1-3 days.
The length of time that marijuana stays in the body varies based on a number of factors, including metabolism, THC levels, frequency of use, and hydration.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. THC and its metabolites, which remain in your body long after the effects have subsided, are detected by drug tests.
Since these metabolites are fat-soluble, they cling to bodily fat molecules. They could thus take a while to fully pass through your system, particularly if your body fat percentage is higher.
THC is absorbed by tissues and organs (including the brain, heart, and fat) and converted by the liver into chemicals such as 11-hydroxy-THC and carboxy-THC. Cannabis is eliminated in feces at a rate of around 65%, while urine accounts for 20%. The leftover amount might be kept within the body.
THC deposited in bodily tissues ultimately re-enters the circulation and is processed by the liver. For frequent users, THC accumulates in fatty tissues quicker than it can be removed, thus it may be detectable in drug tests for days or weeks following consumption.
The detection time varies according to the amount and frequency of cannabis usage. Higher dosages and regular usage result in longer detection times.
The type of drug test also affects detection windows. Blood and saliva tests typically detect cannabis metabolites for shorter periods, while urine and hair samples can reveal use for weeks or even months. In some cases, hair tests have detected cannabis use over 90 days after consumption.
Detection Windows for Various Cannabis Drug Tests
Urine Tests
Among all drug tests, urine testing is the most commonly used method for screening for drug use in an individual.
Detection times vary, but a 2017 review suggests the following windows for cannabis in urine after last use:
– Single-use (e.g., one joint): up to 3 days
– Moderate use (around 4 times a week): 5–7 days
– Chronic use (daily): 10–15 days
– Chronic heavy use (multiple times daily): over 30 days
Blood Tests
Blood tests generally detect recent cannabis use, typically within 2–12 hours after consumption. However, in cases of heavy use, cannabis has been detected up to 30 days later. Chronic heavy use can extend the detection period in the bloodstream.
Saliva Tests
THC can enter saliva through secondhand cannabis smoke, but THC metabolites are only present if you’ve personally smoked or ingested cannabis.
Saliva testing has a short detection window and can sometimes identify cannabis use on the same day. A 2020 review found that THC was detectable in the saliva of frequent users for up to 72 hours after use, and it may remain in saliva longer than in blood following recent use.
In areas where cannabis is illegal, saliva testing is often used for roadside screenings.
Hair Tests
Hair follicle tests can detect cannabis use for up to 90 days. After use, cannabinoids reach the hair follicles through small blood vessels and from sebum and sweat surrounding the hair.
Hair grows at approximately 0.5 inches per month, so a 1.5-inch segment of hair close to the scalp can reveal cannabis use over the past three months.
Factors Affecting THC and Metabolite Retention
The length of time THC and its metabolites stay in your system depends on various factors. Some, like body mass index (BMI) and metabolic rate, relate to individual body processing, not the drug itself.
Other factors are specific to cannabis use, including:
– Dosage: How much you consume
– Frequency: How often you use cannabis
– Method of consumption: Smoking, dabbing, edibles, or sublingual
– THC potency: Higher potency can extend detection time
Higher doses and more frequent use generally extend THC retention. Cannabis consumed orally may remain in the system slightly longer than smoked cannabis, and stronger cannabis strains, higher in THC, may also stay detectable for a longer period.
How Quickly Do the Effects of Cannabis Set In?
When smoking cannabis, effects appear almost immediately, while ingested cannabis may take 1–3 hours to peak.
The psychoactive component THC produces a “high” with common effects such as:
– Altered senses, including perception of time
– Mood changes
– Difficulty with thinking and problem-solving
– Impaired memory
Other short-term effects can include:
– Anxiety and confusion
– Decreased coordination
– Dry mouth and eyes
– Nausea or lightheadedness
– Trouble focusing
– Increased appetite
– Rapid heart rate
– Restlessness and sleepiness
In rare cases, high doses may lead to hallucinations, delusions, or acute psychosis.
Regular cannabis use may have additional mental and physical effects. While research is ongoing, cannabis use may increase the risk of:
– Cognitive issues like memory loss
– Cardiovascular problems including heart disease and stroke
– Respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis or lung infections
– Mood disorders like depression and anxiety
Cannabis use during pregnancy can negatively impact fetal growth and development.
Duration of Effects
Short-term effects generally taper off within 1–3 hours, but for chronic users, some long-term effects may last days, weeks, or even months. Certain effects may even be permanent.
Bottom Line
The amount of time that cannabis remains in your system following a single use varies greatly depending on individual characteristics such as body fat, metabolism, frequency of use, and mode of intake. Frequent users may maintain traces of THC for weeks, whereas infrequent users may test positive for as little as a few days. Hair tests can disclose usage for up to 90 days, while blood and saliva tests identify more recent use. Urine tests are the most popular and have varying detection durations. The duration that THC and its metabolites are detectable will ultimately depend on a number of factors, including dose, strength, and individual body chemistry.
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