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Title: DEA Blames the Media for Making It Harder to Arrest People over Weed
Source:
The Anti-Media
URL Source: http://theantimedia.org/dea-blames-media-weed/
Published: Dec 15, 2016
Author: Carey Wedler
Post Date: 2016-12-15 13:03:58 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 1399
Comments: 5
According to the DEA, the problem with cannabis in the United States isn’t that it’s still designated a dangerous drug with no medicinal value in spite of volumes of emerging scientific research indicating otherwise. The problem is actually that the media has made it difficult for government agents to arrest people for selling and consuming it. The DEA also blames the increasing trend of legalization across the United States. In its 2016 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary [pdf], the DEA observes that “While marijuana remains illegal under federal law, many states have passed laws allowing the cultivation, possession, and use of marijuana within their respective states.” The agency then argues: “Due to these varying state laws, as well as an abundance of media attention surrounding claims of possible medical benefits, the general public has been introduced to contradictory and often inaccurate information regarding the legality and benefits of marijuana use.” As a result, they contend: “This has made enforcement and prosecution for marijuana-related offenses more difficult, especially in states that have approved marijuana legalization. Indeed, the DEA is correct in asserting an increasing number of individuals in states across the country have opted to remove barriers to cannabis use. From California to Colorado and Oregon to Washington D.C., 28 states have legalized either medical or recreational use. But the agency’s wording that “an abundance of media attention surrounding claims of possible medical benefits” actually reveals the disingenuousness of its comments. Though the DEA frames the medicinal qualities of cannabis as doubtful, using uncertain terms like “claims” and “possible,” its own policies prove its statements “contradictory.” In 2015, the DEA itself requested increased amounts of cannabis to be used for research to determine whether or not the plant can be used to treat health conditions. Though this does not necessarily prove there are benefits, it shows even the nation’s “authority” on drugs is adapting to the new era of ending cannabis prohibition and can no longer blindly deny the plant’s potential. Still, in spite of its limited efforts to allow cannabis for research purposes, a study published in the peer-reviewed PLOS Biology journal highlighted the barriers government drug policies’ pose to research: “In the United States, city and state governments often move to outlaw novel drugs before the federal government believes it has sufficient evidence to make that determination. Some have been extreme in their lack of understanding of pharmacology.” This represents a self-repeating loop whereby government policy restricts research, and the DEA then implies research is insufficient to prove medical benefits. Regardless, though the DEA decided to keep cannabis a harmful “Schedule 1” drug in August, other branches of the government might disagree with its assessment. According to www.cancer.gov, a website run by the National Institute for Cancer, cannabis holds many potential benefits for treating nausea, vomiting, pain, anxiety, and loss of appetite. While, again, “potential” is a key qualifier, the same fact sheet acknowledges that “Two cannabinoids (dronabinol and nabilone) are drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention or treatment of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting.” The same page notes “[a]nother active cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD), which may relieve pain, lower inflammation, and decrease anxiety.” If we are to accept the authority of the DEA as a federal agency, we must also accept the authority of the FDA. But it appears the DEA’s claims about “claims” regarding marijuana are contradictory in the face of other government organizations’ opinions, as well as the opinions of medical experts who condemn drug war tactics. In another example, the United States government has held a patent on marijuana for its antioxidant properties since 1979. Still, the DEA blames the media for highlighting the benefits of marijuana, even as many stories about the potential benefits of cannabis are rooted in ongoing discoveries made through scientific research — a factor the DEA fails to acknowledge in its criticism of the media. Further, even absent any scientific data on the plant, anecdotal evidence of cannabis shows just how much it is helping people in need. These are not “claims,” as the DEA suggests. A recent video of a former cop with debilitating Parkinson’s disease showed how just a few drops of cannabis oil helped calm his uncontrolled movements and relieve his pain, and available medical research backs up his experience. Epileptic children enjoy relief from severe seizures, and preliminary medical research also supports their experiences. Countless cancer patients testify to the immense benefits cannabis brings them, especially when it comes to mitigating the effects of chemotherapy. One man who suffered from staggering cluster headaches as a result of the nation’s biggest natural gas leak in history found relief from cannabidiol (CBD) oil after trying numerous other treatments with no success. Of his experience, endocannabinoid researcher, Dr. Saoirse O’Sullivan of the University of Nottingham’s medical school, observed: “The thing about CBD is that because it has so many facets, so many ways in which it acts, that probably, the response was a combination of a little bit of all of them. [It was ] probably not just one thing — and that’s what makes it such a rich drug.” Just last night, the author of this article was suffering from a migraine so severe she couldn’t keep food down, yet with a few drops of non-psychoactive CBD oil, the pain and nausea disappeared. Instead of blaming states and media outlets — and by extension, academic researchers — for evolving past the drug war mentality, the DEA would do well to examine its own practices. Is it possible people are beginning to see the absurdity of sending men with guns to forcibly arrest individuals who consume an ancient plant humans have used for thousands of years? Could it be that people are finally beginning to see the cracks in decades of propaganda against cannabis? Though more research is undoubtedly needed to determine the exact medical benefits of marijuana, the same argument could be made for dangerous pharmaceutical drugs approved by the FDA based on research conducted by their manufacturers. As the FDA notes, “It is the responsibility of the company seeking to market a drug to test it and submit evidence that it is safe and effective.” While it’s important not to paint the plant as a cure-all for any ailment — and research that finds drawbacks of marijuana use must also be further investigated — the DEA’s comments on cannabis do little more than affirm that its policies are outdated, its mentality is increasingly obsolete, and that it’s digging its heels into the aging, prohibition paradigm, even as the rest of the country moves on.
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#1. To: Deckard (#0)
Researchers identify and isolate a specific cannabinoid found in marijuana. They extract, purify, and concentrate it. Then they test it under specific, controlled conditions, and conclude that it may help alleviate a certain condition associated with, say, glaucoma. The MSM reports this as, "Latest Study Concludes That Smoking Marijuana Cures Glaucoma". Yeah. That makes it harder to arrest people.
From all the information contained in the DEA 2016 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary about the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs that are enormous threats to our children, neighbors, colleagues, citizens, while we struggle with an opioid epidemic and the threat to our nation from other drugs is also significant….the author felt the most important headline to create for this article was: Why....WHY? […] The sections of this report are arranged by severity of threat based on a strategic analysis of the domestic drug situation in 2015. Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) supply illicit substances to distributors and users in the United States. As such, a full discussion of each illicit drug cannot be undertaken without first examining these criminal groups. TCOs continue to form relationships with gangs, who in turn commit violent crimes and serve as retail-level drug distributors for TCOs, presenting a serious risk to public health and safety. The number of deaths attributed to controlled prescription drugs (CPDs) continues to outpace those for cocaine and heroin combined. Additionally, some CPD abusers are initiating heroin use, which contributes to the increased demand for and use of heroin. Synthetic opioids, which include fentanyl and tramadol, were responsible for 5,544 drug poisoning deaths in 2014. While fentanyl is often abused in the same manner as heroin, it is much more potent. For these reasons, CPDs, heroin, and fentanyl are ranked as the most significant drug threats to the United States. Methamphetamine distribution and abuse significantly contribute to violent crime rates in the United States. Cocaine availability and abuse are showing the first signs of a possible increase in the United States since 2007. Marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, but recent and ongoing state legalization actions and shifting priorities are changing how many law enforcement agencies perceive marijuana as a threat. Finally, new psychoactive substances (NPS), such as synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones, continue to impact many segments of the American population, particularly youth. Mexican TCOs: Mexican TCOs remain the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States; no other group is currently positioned to challenge them. These TCOs maintain territorial influence over large regions in Mexico used for the cultivation, production, importation, and transportation of illicit drugs. By controlling lucrative smuggling corridors across the U.S. Southwest Border (SWB), Mexican TCOs are able to introduce multi-ton quantities of illicit drugs into the United States on a yearly basis. The poly-drug portfolio maintained by Mexican TCOs consists primarily of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and to a lesser extent, fentanyl. Once these drugs are smuggled across the Mexican border, they are delivered to consumer markets in the United States using transportation routes and distribution cells that Mexican TCOs oversee both directly and indirectly. Mexican TCOs are constantly looking to expand their presence in the United States, particularly in heroin markets. Colombian TCOs: Colombian TCOs continue to impact the U.S. illicit drug market, though no longer in a direct manner as in the 1980s and 1990s. The demise of the larger, structured Colombian criminal enterprises of past decades, like the Medellin, Cali, and Norte Del Valle Cartels, has given way to the rise of Mexican TCOs becoming the principal wholesale suppliers of illicit drugs to U.S. markets. While Mexican TCOs may dominate the wholesale distribution of cocaine in the United States, Colombian TCOs maintain control over its production and supply. The majority of the cocaine that is smuggled into the United States by Mexican TCOs is of Colombian origin. Additionally, smaller Colombian TCOs maintain direct cocaine and heroin pipelines into the United States through couriers and air cargo on commercial flights. Colombian TCOs also maintain a physical presence in the United States to assist in the laundering of illicit proceeds. Dominican TCOs: Dominican TCOs pose a threat to the U.S. drug market, though to a lesser extent than their Mexican and Colombian counterparts. Dominican TCOs are mainly active on the East Coast, where they work in collaboration with other TCOs to receive their illicit drug supply. U.S.-based Dominican TCOs receive direct supplies of cocaine and heroin, generally small quantities, from local TCOs in the Dominican Republic. Asian TCOs: Asian TCOs present a drug trafficking threat to the United States and are mainly active on the East Coast and West Coast of the United States with distribution networks stretching across other parts of the country. Asian TCOs will likely continue to expand their current marijuana and 3,4- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, commonly known as Gangs: Federal, state, and local law enforcement reporting indicates that gangs continue to grow in numbers throughout the United States and expand their criminal activities. All gangs, whether street gangs, prison gangs, or outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs), pursue the same objectives of widening their networks, acquiring money from illicit activities, and increasing influence. To meet these ends, gangs continue to engage in a wide array of criminal endeavors, including drug trafficking and other violent crime. Law enforcement reporting across the country connects local gangs to Mexican TCO drug sources of supply, based primarily on geography and familial ties and sharing the primary goal of generating income/wealth. Gangs’ increasing use of technology for recruitment and communication will continue to present challenges for law enforcement. Controlled Prescription Drugs (CPDs): The threat posed by CPD abuse is prevalent and, every year since 2002, the number of deaths attributable to CPDs has outpaced those for cocaine and heroin combined. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 52 people in the United States die every day from overdosing on prescription painkillers. While recent data suggests that abuse of these drugs has lessened in some areas, the number of individuals reporting current abuse of CPDs is still more than those reporting use of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, MDMA, and phencyclidine (PCP) combined. With the slightly declining abuse levels of CPDs, data indicates there is an increase in heroin use, as some CPD abusers have begun using heroin as a cheaper alternative to the high price of illicit CPDs or when they are unable to obtain prescription drugs. Heroin: Heroin poses a serious and increasing threat to the United States. The size of the heroin user population continues to grow aggressively and overdose deaths, already at high levels, continue to rise. Large increases in poppy cultivation and heroin production in Mexico, the primary source of heroin for the U.S. market, allow traffickers to provide a steady stream of high-purity, low-cost heroin to markets throughout the United States. Heroin overdose deaths are high and increasing across the United States, particularly in the Northeast and Midwest. Heroin overdose deaths more than tripled between 2010 and 2014, with the most recent data reporting 10,574 people in the United States died in 2014 from heroin overdoses. While the size of the heroin user population is smaller than other major drugs, heroin is much more deadly to its users. Fentanyl: Fentanyl is a Schedule II synthetic opioid originally developed to serve as both an analgesic (painkiller) and an anesthetic; however, its strong opioid properties have made it an attractive drug of abuse. Fentanyl, in its licit form, is diverted from the market for personal use or sale, although on a small scale. Illicit fentanyl, likely manufactured in Mexico or China and then smuggled into the United States, is responsible for the current overdose epidemic. It is usually mixed into heroin products, or pressed into counterfeit prescription pills, often without the users’ awareness, which leads to overdose incidents. Methamphetamine: Methamphetamine seizures, survey results, price and purity data, and law enforcement reporting indicate methamphetamine continues to be readily available throughout the United States. Use data remains stable, while treatment admissions increased slightly in 2013. Most of the methamphetamine available in the United States is clandestinely produced in Mexico and smuggled across the SWB. Domestic production continues to occur at much lower levels than in Mexico, and seizures of domestic methamphetamine laboratories have declined, most likely due to the wide availability of high-purity, high-potency Mexican methamphetamine and the passage of the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act (CMEA). Cocaine: Cocaine availability and use in the United States increased across multiple fronts between 2014 and 2015 and is likely to continue increasing in the near term. Colombia will remain the primary source of supply for cocaine in the United States, and elevated levels of coca cultivation, potential pure cocaine production, and north-bound movement indicate that more cocaine is available for traffickers who want to attempt to re-invigorate the U.S. cocaine market. Data from seizures along the SWB, overdose deaths, and past-year initiates shows that cocaine availability and use in the United States have increased since 2014; however, these numbers currently remain below 2007 benchmark levels for cocaine availability in the United States. Marijuana: Marijuana is the most widely available and commonly used illicit drug in the United States. While marijuana remains illegal under federal law, many states have passed laws allowing the cultivation, possession, and use of marijuana within their respective states. Due to these varying state laws, as well as an abundance of media attention surrounding claims of possible medical benefits, the general public has been introduced to contradictory and often inaccurate information regarding the legality and benefits of marijuana use. This has made enforcement and prosecution for marijuana-related offenses more difficult, especially in states that have approved marijuana legalization. State-legalization measures have had several observable effects, including increases in marijuana use, increases in domestically-produced marijuana, shifts in demand for higher-quality marijuana, increases in seizures of marijuana concentrates, increases in the number of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) extraction laboratories, and declines in the overall amount of Mexico- sourced marijuana seized at the SWB. New Psychoactive Substances (NPS): The synthetic drugs included within this category, including cannabinoids and cathinones, will continue to pose a nationwide threat to the United States and overdoses and deaths will continue to occur. NPS are inexpensive to purchase and widely available. In addition, traffickers will continue to experiment with NPS, such as pressing synthetic cannabinoids into counterfeit prescription pills, to expand their market. These characteristics make NPS a valuable commodity to traffickers, since traffickers modify and disguise NPS as other “traditional” drugs, such as MDMA. Traffickers will work around scheduling actions by modifying NPS’ chemical formulas to create new, unregulated and unscheduled drugs. However, as traffickers maintain their traditional street sales of NPS, they may continue to distribute popular NPS, regardless of their status on the controlled substances list. Illicit Finance: The implementation and enforcement of enhanced anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and the promotion of international standards make it more challenging for TCOs to launder proceeds derived from criminal activities. The federal government and law enforcement agencies continue to identify TCOs’ money laundering methods and take necessary actions to dismantle the TCOs’ financial infrastructure. Identifying criminals who circumvent the financial system to launder their illicit proceeds and cutting off their money supply is integral to protecting the integrity and stability of financial systems. The primary methods for laundering illicit proceeds have remained the same over the past several years and include: bulk cash smuggling, trade based money laundering, informal value transfer systems, and exploitation of the formal banking sector. […] https://www.dea.gov/resource- center/2016%20NDTA%20Summary.pdf .
In other words - people are starting to call out the DEA on their decades of lies about cannabis. Unfortunately, there are still many like you who parrot the "Reefer Madness" propaganda being spewed by fed.gov. I hate to say this but I doubt you will ever learn to think for yourself instead of relying on lies from the government to shape your world view. In other words - people are starting to call out the DEA on their decades of lies about cannabis. When there is contradictory and inaccurate information regarding the legality of marijuana use….it most DEFINITELY should be called out. The statement however said “claims of possible medical benefits” of marijuana medical use. Looking at the other side of the coin, we must realize that “claims” are just that….they are simply ”CLAIMS of POSSIBLE medical benefits” from medical use of marijuana.
Oh, I am not about to solely rely on the government for information….and I damned well will NEVER rely on a bunch of potheads like yourself to furnish me any reliable information at all.
#2. To: Deckard (#0)
(Edited)
DEA Blames the Media for Making It Harder to Arrest People over Weed
DEA - 2016 National Drug Threat Assessment Summary
#3. To: Gatlin (#2)
Due to these varying state laws, as well as an abundance of media attention surrounding claims of possible medical benefits, the general public has been introduced to contradictory and often inaccurate information regarding the legality and benefits of marijuana use.
“Truth is treason in the empire of lies.” - Ron Paul
Those who most loudly denounce Fake News are typically those most aggressively disseminating it.
#4. To: Deckard (#3)
… media attention surrounding claims of possible medical benefits, the general public has been introduced to contradictory and often inaccurate information regarding the legality and benefits of marijuana use.
#5. To: Deckard (#3)
I hate to say this but I doubt you will ever learn to think for yourself instead of relying on lies from the government to shape your world view.
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