Where Does The Authority Come From?

If the US government had to amend the US Constitution in order to grant itself the authority to prohibit alcohol why didn't it have to amend the US Constitution to grant itself the authority to prohibit drugs?

Where does this authority to prohibit drugs come from? Anyone know?

 

So, no one knows?

 

We? You speaking for everyone now? I come back after six months of being banned for something others were allowed to do after I was banned and you can't show enough Christian charity to say Hi Poncho, how've been before posting one of you're usual condescending replies?

Really? Is that how it's going to be?

Maybe the other member I was talking to during my banishment was right, maybe this is a Christian board in name only.

 

I've been doing fine. Thank you. And I didn't request you say anything at all. And I went on record with you a long time ago in a public forum in front of everyone and apologized for disrespecting you.

So much for that forgiveness stuff, eh?

How could I be condescending to you when I didn't even say anything to you until after you replied in your usual loving tone?

Some things just never change do they?

 

So how is this going work Squire, are you going to show your respect for the rules by allowing other posters to attack me personally over and over and then punishing me for defending myself like the good old days? I'm just asking so I can prepare myself accordingly.

 

That would fine by me. I have no desire to argue with you or anyone else on this board on a personal level.

 

So, now that were passed all that. I'll get to the point I was trying to make.

How many people here believe the federal government should obey the US constitution? Raise your hand.

According to the Constitution, legislation regarding drug use and abuse is a State level issue. The issue is not addressed specifically in the text of the U.S. Constitution, so it falls under the broad umbrella of powers that our Founders “left to the States and the people” in the 10th Amendment.

Alcohol prohibition in the United States from 1919 to 1933 was supported by an actual constitutional amendment. Drug prohibition is not. This is an important point because, unless something has drastically changed, drug prohibition would also require a Constitutional Amendment, ratified by the States, to have any semblance of legitimacy. Drug prohibition is simply a federal power grab. It’s an end-run around the Constitutional Amendment process because such an amendment would never pass. So, while social conservatives may believe that it is perfectly reasonable for the Federal Government to impose harsh criminal penalties on what free citizens can put in their own bodies, our Founders clearly disagreed.

Continue . . . http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2011/05/is-the-drug-war-constitutional/

Now how many people here still believe the federal government should obey the US constitution? Raise your hand.

There's a reason I raise this issue and it isn't to get anyone "involved with a tar baby". The reason is the DEA intends to classify an herb called kratom as a Schedule I controlled substance and ban it in the United States.

What is Kratom?

Kratom is a tree native to Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, etc.). Its botanical name is Mitragyna speciosa. Kratom is in the same family as the coffee tree (Rubiaceae). The leaves of kratom have been used as an herbal drug from time immemorial by peoples of Southeast Asia. It is used in folk medicine as a stimulant (at low doses), sedative (at high doses), recreational drug, pain killer, medicine for diarrhea, and treatment for opiate addiction. Many people report that kratom is an effective treatment for arthritis, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and fibromyalgia.

Is kratom an effective pain medication?
Yes, kratom is an effective pain medication (analgesic). In fact, except for opium, kratom is probably the most effective herbal analgesic available. Many people use kratom to alleviate aches and pains, and to help manage painful conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia.

Is kratom an effective treatment for opiate addiction?
One of the traditional uses of kratom in Thailand is as a treatment opiate addiction. Opiate addiction is a widespread problem. Not just for people who use opiate drugs illegally, but also for people who are prescribed opiate pain medications. Unfortunately, people who use opiate drugs daily often become addicted. Understandably, many people do not like being addicted to these drugs and are looking for ways to overcome their addiction. Many people report that kratom is effective for this purpose. Because it contains alkaloids that act as opiate receptor agonists it can be used as a substitute for opiate drugs, both as a pain medication and to avoid opiate withdrawals. After switching to kratom for a while, people say that they are able to reduce and then end their kratom use completely without suffering through difficult opiate withdrawal. This suggests that although it contains opiate receptor agonists, the pharmacology of kratom differs from opiate drugs in an important and potentially useful way. Before using kratom to overcome opiate addiction, it is obviously a good idea to discuss this with an open-minded physician.

Is kratom habit forming?
Kratom is not habit forming when it is used responsibly. If used occasionally as a recreational drug, rather than daily, there is virtually no risk of becoming dependent on it. But it is very important not to get into the habit of using it every day. For kratom, like many drugs [e.g. alcohol, coffee, tobacco, etc.] if used on a daily basis for a prolonged period of time, could become a habit hard to break. Before starting to experiment with it set yourself usage guidelines. If you ever find it is hard to stay within your usage guidelines immediately quit using kratom. Of course, people who are using kratom to overcome a preexisting opiate addiction may need to use kratom daily to avoid opiate withdrawal. People suffering from chronic pain may need to take pain medications on a daily basis, and some people choose to use kratom instead of pharmaceutical pain killers. Interestingly, studies have found that opiate drugs (morphine and its relatives) are rarely addictive for pain sufferers except among people with a history of substance abuse. This is probably also true for kratom, because like opiate drugs, the effects of kratom are due to opiate receptor agonist activity.

Continue . . . http://www.sagewisdom.org/kratomguide.html

The reason I'm posting this is I know several people who have legally used this herb to treat chronic long term pain that do not want to or cannot take prescription pain medication for some time. Now they will have no other choice but to take the prescription pain killers or become criminals in order to treat their pain.



My questions are. Why does the government feel it has to control everything even that which it has no constitutional authority to control? And . . . is this sudden concern for citizens safety really about safety or is this about protecting big pharma's monopoly on pain relief drugs?

Now how many people here still believe the federal government should obey the US constitution? Raise your hand.

I don't expect people to answer these questions or engage in a meaningful debate on this subject because I know through past experience that this subject causes some folks to experience a painful episode of cognitive dissonance and I won't ask anyone to put themselves through a painful experience.

Thanks for reading my post.