Fun story: One of my classmates in undergrad doing chemistry was part of a research group studying the effects of THC. I asked how much of a pain it was to work with anything marijuana related*, he said it was really not that big a deal, and that’s when I found out:
Cannabis is Schedule I: No potential for medicinal use.
THC is actually Schedule II: Possible Medical Use, high potential for abuse.
THC has been Schedule II since the 90s, apparently, in part due to recommendations from the WHO. And cannabis is well on (extremely slow) track to legalization.
So, despite the bizarre incongruities of current cannabis legislation, of moral of the story is: Don’t be so pessimistic.
*Other researchers have told me that having even small quantities of marijuana plant sanctioned by the DEA required meeting exceedingly cumbersome regulations about things like the kinds of safes they needed and–not kidding, availability of antidotes.
