DEA Wants to Quintuple the Amount of Cannabis Produced in the US in 2019

WASHINGTON - Aug. 28, 2018 - PRLog -- The 2019 Aggregate Production Quota for Schedule I and II Controlled Substances was signed on August 14 and revealed that the DEA is proposing a production quota of 2,450,000 grams of marijuana for 2019.

The figure represents a fivefold increase from the amount of marijuana authorized to be produced by the DEA throughout this year — 443,680 grams.

A press release also published this month has emphasized that proposing a reduction in the manufacturing quotes for opioids is one way to attempt to lower the availability of substances that are associated with diversion, illicit trades, and addiction.

The DEA also highlighted that the agency is aiming to lower the production of the most common opioids classified as Schedule II, such as oxycodone, morphine, and fentanyl.

Because of its low potential for misuse and diversion, a number of neurobiologists and scientists have expressed that CBD is likely the cannabis component with the most potential for therapeutic use in pain management.

Recent research has revealed that CBD has potential in assisting individuals who struggle with different types of addiction. For instance, a randomized, double-blind study — published in May in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction and led by the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit at the University College London — found that CBD promoted abstinence among dependent cigarette smokers.

"What is interesting is that the studies that looked at opioid reduction, have also had secondary outcomes where people are using less tobacco and alcohol as well," said Dr. Alex Capano, a neuroscientist with a Ph.D. in cannabinoid science and the medical director for United Life Science, which operates Ecofibre Industries, Ananda Professional and Ananda Hemp, which has been a pioneer in the U.S. hemp industry.

One study, which was published last year in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, more than 1,500 New England residents were surveyed and results showed that more than 75 percent of them used fewer opioids as well as medications to treat anxiety, migraines, and insomnia after starting treatment with medical cannabis. Medical cannabis was also found to be associated with a decreased use of alcohol and antidepressants.

"CBD is not only pretty well-established as an effective pain reliever but it's also safe to use as an adjunct with opioids," Capano said. "It doesn't increase respiratory depression risk and there are also studies that show that it can actually reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It does not work on the reward receptors of the brain the same way so there is no risk of dependence or addiction. So, it's not substituting one substance abuse for another."

Animal laboratory studies have also found that CBD exposure was linked to a reduction in opioid-seeking behavior and current human data is consistent with results from the animal models, according to researchers from the Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Additionally, a 2017 clinical review supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) called for an increase in the use cannabis pharmacotherapy for pain management, highlighting evidence that such increase has been associated with a decrease in the use of opioids to treat pain.

Although the recent findings may have prompted the DEA to propose the increase in marijuana cultivation, the agency has not yet announced any drug scheduling changes for the substance or its components. Thus, marijuana (cannabis) should remain classified as a Schedule I drug — along with heroin, methaqualone, peyote, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and ecstasy.

"We are really handcuffed when it comes to getting quality, well-designed studies because of the Schedule I regulation," Capano said. "It often takes years for studies with placebo to be approved and the research is really lagging behind in the U.S."

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