Holy. Cow. PCP "less dangerous" than marijuana?

[MH1]

Watching Maddow. (actually Ezra Klein tonight.)

MJ is "schedule 1" - worst of the worst. I knew that. Know it's crazy, but I knew that's how it was.

I just assumed that stuff worse than marijuana would also be on the "worst of the worst" list. Silly me. PCP (horrid stuff) and cocaine (not so bad to try once but don't get addicted, and it's HIGHLY addictive), are on schedule 2.

Huh. Learn something new every day.

I really hope the feds reschedule MJ and deprioritize casual use. The current "schedule" is such a frickin' joke.

Just rantling (cross between ranting and rambling). Gotta head to bed so I'm just going to post this for anyone else who wants to comment, and I'll check in tomorrow.

[JVS]

1. Schedule is not a ranking of how "bad" a drug is.

Cocaine is on schedule 2 because it has a medical use as a topical anesthetic.

[MH1]

9. Ok, that would make sense. But marijuana clearly as medicinal uses.

Clearly, that is, to everyone but the feds.

[REP]

2. PCP was used as an anesthesia in humans; might still be used with other animals

Could be wrong about it still being used in other animals.

[Major Nikon]

3. PCP was billed as a marvel anesthesia drug when it was first developed

The reason is because there's a big difference between the amount it takes for the drug to kill you vs how much it takes to render you unconscious. It was discontinued for that use because of bad side effects.

[kestrel91316]

4. PCP is related to ketamine, which is the main component

of my beloved 4-drug injectable cocktail, without which I could not possibly practice feline medicine and surgery. It is EXTREMELY safe as such, though it has some dramatic and weird effects that necessitate the other 3 drugs for balanced anesthesia.

[MH1]

8. Well, good to know there's a reason.

I guess even if it is discontinued for human use as anesthesia, if it is still used in animals then it has to stay off schedule 1.

It's just ridiculous that marijuana is treated as worse than PCP.

[kestrel91316]

14. It's not ridiculous. It's COMPLETELY INSANE. lol

[laruemtt]

5. many moons ago (early 1970s)

someone spiked a joint with PCP - holy guacamole - i'd never knowingly touch that stuff with a 10-foot pole.

[MH1]

7. I was lucky to have a friend who tipped me off about this.

A PCP-laced joint has a particular flavor - kind of minty if I recollect correctly, it's been a VERY long time - if you taste that, blow it out, don't inhale, and pass that one on if it comes by again (after warning your friends to let it go by also).

[kestrel91316]

15. I don't have to worry about that. I grow my own and pack my own bowls.

Mostly I make cannabis oil and bake with it.

I have ZERO interest in anything other than cannabis for my nightly ritual.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

6. Legalize Angel Dust NOW!

[Sgent]

10. Cocaine

is a *very* good vascular constrictor used in facial (esp nose) and eye surgery, since it prevents bleeding of those areas which can cause the surgery to fail. It also has some anesthetic effect (although it cannot replace anesthesia), and is very, very cheap when purchased legally.

I'm not sure about PCP, but the related ketamine has become one of the primary anesthetics used in surgeries / procedures which do not require you to be truly anesthetized. Its popular in ER's for things like setting (non-compound) fractures, dislocations, etc. Also its used in a lot of outpatient procedures (various scoping procedures like colonoscopy, etc.), and some inpatient procedures on limbs where the primary anesthesia is a nerve block or lidocaine. It doesn't have the safety issues as a true anesthetic (or even things like Versed), and effectively makes you "not care" about what's happening.

The DEA schedules 2-5 are based on abuse potential and addictiveness; however, Schedule 1 is any drug which which could be abused and does not have a medical use.

[snooper2]

12. So that's why we did the numbies

LOL

[kestrel91316]

16. IIRC pediatric burn units use ketamine for keeping the kiddies

calm during debridement. And of course it is part of the famous Milwaukee Protocol that has saved half a dozen or so people from rabies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milwaukee_protocol

[In_The_Wind]

11. I seriously doubt that.

Never mind the lies we've been fed by those who don't want marijuana to be legal. [img][/img]

[Fumesucker]

13. Where do alcohol and tobacco fall on these rankings? n/t