We’ve lived with Schedule I marijuana for so long that we’ve forgotten the reasons in the first place.
Turns out, a new study from Harm Reduction Journal found that the federal drug policy was poorly aligned with scientific evidence.
Seventeen experts analyzed 19 drugs across 18 categories that included overdose death, long-term health damage, and family disruption, and were scored then ranked.
First off, it found that all drugs were more harmful to the people using them than the people around them, which brings into questions of autonomy.
Their ultimate consensus was that “an array of harm reduction strategies should be considered” as opposed to the punitive approach that we’ve been dealing with for so many decades now.
In terms of the scores, fentanyl was highest at 90, methamphetamine got an 84, crack 83, heroin 82, and cannabis was way down at 32. Kind of absurd to place it in the same category as a 90 if you ask me.
This is something we’ve known for many years now, but having it analyzed in a methodical way is helpful for advocacy.
Read the study here.
