Prohibition

Marijuana: A Schedule 1 Drug

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In the United States, as well as most countries around the world, governments considered marijuana to be an illegal substance. 

In 1970 the U.S. government passed an act known as the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), which lists drugs and substances federally regulated by the U.S. government, thus creating a new federal U.S. drug policy. The substances listed in this act all have the potential for abuse. However, under this act, there is no clear definition of abuse. 

The CSA divides drugs and other substances into five categories. These categories are known as schedules.

Under this act Schedule 1 drugs have three defining qualities that put them into this category.

  1. They currently have no accepted medical use in the United States.
  2. They have a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.
  3. They have a high potential for abuse. 

The difference between Schedule 1 drugs as opposed to the rest of the Scheduled drugs (2-5) is according to this legislation, Schedule 1 drugs have no medicinal use while the other drugs listed in the lower schedules have some potential for medicinal use. 

Schedule 1 drugs:

  • Heroin
  • LSD
  • Cannabis 
  • Ecstasy

Schedule 2 drugs:

  • Oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet)
  • Fentanly
  • Opium
  • Methamphetamine 
  • Cocaine 
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According to the US government and the CSA, marijuana is similar and can be compared to drugs such as heroin. It is considered extremely dangerous to the American public, yet there has never been a single death from cannabis in the history of humankind. Unlike the government’s schedule 2 drugs, which have created an Opioid Drug problem in the United States. 

Overdose Deaths in the U.S. from 1999 to 2018.

  • Heroin 
    • 1999 deaths: 1,960
    • 2018 deaths: 14,996
  • Prescription Opioids
    • 1999 deaths: 3,442
    • 2018 deaths: 14,975
  • Methamphetamine 
    • 1999 deaths: 547
    • 2018 deaths: 12,676
  • Cocaine
    • 1999 deaths: 3,822
    • 2018 deaths: 14,666
  • Cannabis 
    • 1999 deaths: 0
    • 2018 deaths: 0

When we look at the data and statistics, it’s difficult to argue the dangers of marijuana when drugs being prescribed by doctors are killing people, and this plant has never killed any human being. 

You could honestly die from almost anything. Remember that show 1000 Ways to Die, well weed was never on it, and it’s because this plant literally can not kill you. So this drug that the government has been against for 100 years is the only drug on the CSA that you can not overdose from, and you cannot die from, and yet it is categorized with the worst drugs to exist on this planet.

Growing up, I had this idea that if you smoked weed, you would eventually turn into a heroin addict. And now that idea sounds crazy but when you look at the evidence that was taught to me; it makes sense why I would think that. It makes sense why parents and teachers would teach young children that. Marijuana is in the same category as heroin, so the assumption can be made that this plant can result in the same drug addiction and death as heroin.

But that is all a lie, and yet most of the American public still believes in that lie. And why wouldn’t they, the government which has resources to money, data, and research is telling us this is one of the worst drugs ever to exist. It’s the government’s words against many hippy activists trying to disrupt the government’s power.

Well, it’s no longer a bunch of hippies anymore advocating for the medicinal benefits of marijuana. It’s everyday people who conduct their own research and gather their own information outside the government’s given information. We are finding out that this plant does indeed have medicinal benefits and does not fit the definition of a Schedule 1 drug. 

For marijuana reform to happen in society, marijuana needs to be listed into a lower schedule.