Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words

Obama Will Sign Executive Order Removing Marijuana From Schedule One

DEA defines Class I drugs as having a high potential for abuse and no medical use. Moving Cannabis to Schedule II would have the effect of legalizing Medical Marijuana

The outgoing president will sign an executive order reversing President Richard Nixon's 1970 order, listing Marijuana as a Schedule One Drug, forbidden at all times. This is said to have been a jab at 1960's "Hippy Culture."

President Barack Obama, who wrote of experimenting with marijuana as a young man, will legalize marijuana on his way out of office. He will make pot a Class II drug, legal under Federal law with a doctors prescription. States will be able to continue to outlaw marijuana, if they choose. About half of US States now permit medicinal cannabis or recreational marijuana, within certain limits.

Obama says pot should be treated like cigarettes and alcohol.

“I am not somebody who believes that legalization is a panacea,” Obama said. “But I do believe that treating this as a public-health issue, the same way we do with cigarettes or alcohol, is the much smarter way to deal with it. It is untenable over the long term for the Justice Department or the DEA to be enforcing a patchwork of laws, where something that’s legal in one state could get you a 20-year prison sentence in another,” Obama told Rolling Stone magazine.

Libertarian Presidential Candidate Gary Johnson predicted legalization, speaking in the Washington Times. Johnson says he thinks President Obama is going to remove marijuana from the government's "Schedule I" list of narcotics considered particularly harmful and addictive before January 20th, changing Federal policy with the stroke of a pen.

"It's going to be just like alcohol," Mr. Johnson told The Washington Times. "I'm going to predict that Obama, when he leaves office, is going to reschedule marijuana as a Class I narcotic. I wish he would have done that to this point, but I think he's going to do that going out the door. That's a positive."

On Tuesday, Obama pardoned 79 felons convicted of drug offenses, commuting their sentences. Obama has pardoned 1000 felons, more than his ten predecessors. Under his administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration has largely ignored states that legalize marijuana. The DEA has largely left alone marijuana offenses, as a matter of policy.

Marijuana is currently on the Schedule I list alongside drugs like LSD and heroin. The Drug Enforcement Agency defines Class I drugs as having a high potential for abuse and no currently accepted medical use.

Democrat Hillary Clinton, among others, suggested reclassifying the drug under Schedule or Class II. Those drugs include cocaine, but also certain painkillers like oxycodone that are available with a medical prescription.

Mr. Johnson's campaign followed up by saying that the former governor would prefer that the president remove marijuana from the controlled substances list entirely, allowing states to legalize and regulate as they and their voters choose. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/29/gary-johnson-predicts-obama-will-reclassify-mariju/

Donald Trump's pick for Attorney General is a Reagan era prosecutor, Jeff Sessions. "Sessions is not one of those people who feel the drug war is over. He's not going to reschedule it," says one expert. "It's one of the most evil failed policies, up there with Jim Crow and slavery. If you feel that someone should be thrown in a cage for a consensual, victimless transaction, you are evil. For this reason, OBama will pardon Marijuana as he pardons so many drug offenders, black and white."

The Obama administration is further relaxing the nation's stance on marijuana, said the New York Times in August. "President Obama has said he views it as no more dangerous than alcohol, and the Justice Department has not stood in the way of states that have legalized the drug." http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/11/science/obama-administration-set-to-remove-barrier-to-marijuana-research.html

 
 

Reader Comments(21)

Metalbuoy writes:

Obama is a disgusting pig of a president. He did absolutely nothing. Tomorrow starts trump's reign of terror.

Gary writes:

This is all speculation, bad speculation at that. My prediction is he does this; nothing. Trump is not going to reschedule, either. What he might do though is let his head of the Just Us dept do is run rough shod on the states that legalized and his health secretary to do the same to the medical states. Time will tell.

Jrfxdl1999 writes:

I think legalization should be top priority because there's a lot of sick Americans with cancer with all kinds of problems that this illegal drugs will help.I think that the government hasn't been able to figure out a way to tax it if you was to grow it in your home or back yard. I have been diagnosed with prostate cancer stage 4 bone cancer. I believe the drug companies have not been able to figure out how to profit so they help keep the government from backing any kind of marijuana legalization. What would the drug companies do with all the over priced drugs that they put us on. Marijuana may be there cure for cancer why can't we give it a try?

petechic writes:

Folks sure like to talk about government quite a bit.

joepotfarmer writes:

These are all the side issues for use by presidents to save face before they step out. The guy is a terrorist but idiot hippies will quickly forget once he legalises.

Mick7 writes:

I've said it to a lot of people. If Obama truly wants to stick it to Mr. Game show host presidential elect, he should via executive order decriminalize cannabis completely at the federal level and dare trump to overturn what would be a popular (for a change) executive order. This iant 1940, slavery is illegal, so should be marijuana crimes for simple possession and states should decide. 10th amendment is an important one.

420POW writes:

The mindless guy that mocked the comparison of slavery to the US drug war is obviously impaired in deduction and logic. And obviously has never been imprisoned unjustly. If you were able to see outside your tiny box you would understand.

hempvoice writes:

What about hemp for Commercial Manufacturing? This shouldn't be scheduled. You can't get high on commercial hemp. Commercial Hemp will save the United States Economy when it is aloud to be grown and use for the many products it can be used to create.

Freedom writes:

I am 60 and have been consuming cannabis off and on since my late teens (over 42 years). I'm a husband, father, electronics engineer, community volunteer, musician and successful business owner. I never drink alcoholic beverages or use tobacco products. I vaporize cannabis (no smoke, no smell, no problems) in the evening after work or on weekends. I am in excellent health, my memory is perfect and I run 20-30 miles per week and finished my 2nd Marathon May 22, 2016 in 3 hrs, 35 mins. I am just one of millions of health conscious Americans seeking the least harmful buzz. How long do we have to suffer the lies and ridiculous nonsense from a government whose own data at the CDC shows cannabis nearly harmless by comparison to prescription drugs, tobacco and booze??

willie123 writes:

I check every day on google for the most updated news on cannabis. This article appears new every day, reposted same thing every day. It is not new. The information is hersay and Obama is not confirmed to do anything. Obama is too busy trying to frame trump as a Russian and creating his new fake news network to worry with cannabis. Trump will reschedule cannabis with the new fda appointee by holding firm to states rights. Medical studies will be out soon that will be undeniable. Schedule 3 or deschedule only.

Thor writes:

How is rescheduling marijuana to a schedule 2 even remotely make it similar to alcohol and tobacco? It doesn't. People will still go to jail for pocession. Medical marijuana will only be available via pharmaceutical companies by an expensive manufactured product only after it goes thru FDA testing. Rescheduling it is nothing more than a slap in the face. The only right thing to do is to deschedule it. States will still be able to do what they want, if they want it illegal, great. If the want medical, great. If they want recreational, great. Descheduling is the only move that truely leads to states rights!

LaNORML writes:

Unless legalization happens in Louisiana within 2 years we will be moving or business to a state with more freedoms. I am sick of seeing people being locked up for marijuana. Louisiana budget is in shambles. Louisiana could bring thousands of new jobs if Louisiana would legalize . This would give Louisiana a, larger tax base. BUT since they do not allow voter initiatives, it will probably never get voted on. The politicians here do not seem to care what the voters want. The politicians here in Louisiana just vote for what they themselves want.

Louisiana writes:

We will move our business from Louisiana within two years. No freedoms here.

meauxjeaus writes:

I will sing your praises forever it you do. Ok'm a 55 year old female taxpayers who don't drink or do drugs but I have smoked weed for onerous 30 years. TIRED of bringing considered a CRIMINAL because in Louisiana I have to go to the Black market to get it. And all the prisons are privatized so the state makes more money just locking us up and taking our possessions! Can't wait to retire to CO, WA, or OR.!

Hattmann writes:

So let me get this right. Having marijuana illegal is an evil equivalent to slavery. Really. Have another hit bucko!

reader1 writes:

Is this a guarantee just like hen Santa Monica Observer wrote that the DEA rescheduling was a done deal too? I did not see anything in the way of evidence, just taking comments the president made and framed them in a way that makes it sound like he will rescedule. If you finish the Rolling Stone article, he also talks about how rescheduling is not something he thinks the Executive Branch can do alone. Whether or not that is true, Obama has maintained that he needs Congress involved to reschedule. And to what another commenter said, if they rescheudle without proper and tailored discussion to what the cannabis industry needs (like a sweeping executive order) then the cannabis industry will be saddled with FDA requirements and the industry will come to a screeching halt. There has to be exceptions worked out, otherwise all marijuana will have to be screened immediately and will not be available in dispensaries, the industry will crumble.

kargol writes:

Nonsense. And we don't want it to be rescheduled to a II (2). That would mean that Drs would have to decide what strength, how many, how often, what strain. There is no mechanism for that and there won't be until and unless it comes as a pill or a liquid manufactured and flavored and filled with chemicals. No thank you.

lei writes:

Attention grabbing headline: Obama Will Sign Executive Order Removing Marijuana From Schedule One Buried sentence: 'I'm going to predict that Obama, when he leaves office, is going to reschedule marijuana as a Class I narcotic.' - Gary Johnson Source: Gary Johnson's opinion http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/29/gary-johnson-predicts-obama-will-reclassify-mariju/ Facts: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/11/30/obama-says-marijuana-should-be-treated-like-cigarettes-or-alcohol/?utm_term=.0c2be9ba8eb0 TL;DR: This author is an idiot who is just trying to gather readers. Obama is NOT going to sign an executive order. This was Gary Johnson's opinion, but Obama has made it clear that is not going to happen. Get your facts straight before you publish lies and encourage ignorance.

JAQ writes:

Journalism 101: When your source is some outsider with no credibility, rather than actual reliable sources, that should be called out in the headline ('says Johnson'). Or the opening paragraph ('According to Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson....') Not buried in the third paragraph.

BUZZ58 writes:

I've smoked for 42 years! It is good for so many things! Why is tobacco legal? No pros! Pro's and con's! Alcohol and cigarettes are addictive, and have no pro's! All con's! Genesis 1:12! There are so many good things about it, it could only come from God! I am in cancer remission. I got the medical oil when I was so sick from chemotherapy. No high though. I don't care what anyone says! The weed from the 60's was purebred. This hybrid doesn't even compare. They are messing with something that was already good! We're still gonna smoke no matter what! IT IS GOOD FOR A LOT OF AILMENTS!

tklim01 writes:

Well, well, well. Finally an executive order that is reasonable & long overdue. Cannabis treated more like alcohol. Reducing a large percentage of violence at The United Sates borders & inner cities alike. A large reduction in revenue for drug lords, and dangerous drug dealers inside the states. A giant step forward in Criminal justice system. Reducing the populations of our prisons & making room for real criminals, those involved with violence. Plus an opportunity for individual States to boost their revenues, and balancing budgets without major cuts in educational and athletic programs. Reducing a significant percentage of the war on drugs. Finally a positive impact on how we govern. People who feel Cannabis is key to managing all sorts of health issues, can purchase their medicine in an open market instead of risking deadly out comes with the people they had to rely on in the past. Staying safe, away from trouble areas. Those who oppose can choose to continue there lifestyle.