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Quasar

Petition against OK state question 790

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I made a whitehouse.gov petition asking the administration to ensure special prosecution against the State of Oklahoma if the SQ790, which is a blatantly unconstitutional abolishment of the separation of church and state, is approved. Visit the link below if you want to support it.

https://wh.gov/ierde

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For reference: https://ballotpedia.org/Oklahoma_Public_Money_for_Religious_Purposes,_State_Question_790_(2016)

OK SQ790 is about allowing public money or property to be used for religious purposes. It's being depicted by its proponent as being in favor of "religious freedom" but I'm pretty sure religious freedom is a private thing, not a having-your-taxpayer-money-being-used-to-fund-the-governor's-favorite-church thing.

As for signing the petition, I'm with it in principle but I don't think it really makes sense for a not-American to sign it.

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Vote no to anything that allows even more taxpayer money to be used for religious purposes. Religious institutions are already about a 100 years behind on their tax payments as far as I'm concerned so they definitely don't need even more cash funneled their way rather than towards, oh say, keeping basic infrastructure in-tact.

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Of course, it's about religious freedom... as long as it's THEIR religion.

That's why I'm voting against it.

EDIT: Voted "NO" on it.

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Interestingly found this linked petition. Has 145,000+ signatures:

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/please-do-not-make-kratom-schedule-i-substance

I had no idea kratom was planned for illegal scheduling. I don't personally use it, but I know enough about it to know it is generally safe when used properly. Here we go again with the failed drug war. Kratom isn't even half as powerful as weed. Well, unless taken in absurd quantities. At which point there's going to be side effects. Just look at alcohol and prescribed medication. All reported deaths (just fifteen over the course of two years in the US) were related to a combination cocktail of things.

So in other words, morons shoving all sorts of pills in their mouth, as well as being intoxicated at the time of death. Welp better make sure everyone else who uses it therapeutically is also a criminal. All because a few idiots can't control themselves.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitragyna_speciosa

Scroll down to "regulation." They are looking to make it a schedule I substance. The most severe possible. Lol... but alcohol. That is okay, of course.

Sorry if this is off topic. Apparently the white house responded to the petition, claiming they are moving forward with the illegal scheduling anyway.

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RUSH you're right it's quite absurd. Thing is, DEA has been under pressure from a lot of interest groups to regulate kratom. Not that there's a big lobby against the plant or anything, but people keep showing him in rehab due to opiate issues and kratom is often also used by people who use opiates. Mainly because they are trying to quit opiates. Kratom is much longer-lasting and mild, not to mention it's pretty complicated to ingest kratom compared to swallowing a pill or doing heroin. If you are doing kratom to taper off the harsh drugs, you have a purpose in mind, not to mention the more kratom you do, the less effective the opiates are going to be, in the short run. So it it's quite therapeutic. I mean, you're making a weird-tasting tea vs immediately putting a powder in your body. The mindset is just a lot different, tbh.

The DEA is actually ignoring a lot of medical evidence of people using kratom in Southeast Asia to treat alcoholism and heroin dependence. Let's not forget Southeast Asia is part of the "Opium Triangle". Just a ridiculous amount of the plant is grown there illegally.

DEA also has some problems lately, namely, there are a ridiculous number of designer chemicals that get you high but all of them are legal. And Congress isn't about to make all "gray area" highs illegal. They already learned that the hard way with LSD and Ecstasy. Both of those chemicals have therapeutic potential and now they are used strictly by underground counterculture groups and some well-respected medical professional in Switzerland. It's a big lost cause and waste of time for the DEA to go after all this "gray area" stuff.

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The thing that bugs me is they have the balls to make it a schedule I, of all things. Why? Kratom isn't an opiate. It doesn't belong beside heroin. It has never caused any deaths when used in any amount by itself. The handful of deaths involved barbiturates and very high doses. Kratom is nowhere near as addictive as opiates. It does not cause damage to the cells like heroin. It does not cause visual hallucinations. It is unprocessed. Anyone claiming it's the next "legal heroin" is an absolute moron. That's like saying caffeine is a "legal cocaine."

I agree there's quite obviously some underlying lobbyists from pharmaceutical companies encouraging this misinformation nonsense. Let's NEVER try to properly educate the public. Just ban it! Ta Da! And hand out free criminal records wherever possible. Got to fill those prisons somehow. It's no laughing matter either. Getting caught with a schedule I substance will completely ruin your life. The most serious form of drug offense shouldn't be attached to such a petty substance.

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As someone who lives in Oklahoma, you're damn right that I signed the shit out of that petition.

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