Trump has been a pretty vocal critic of Big Pharmacy’s inflated prices and outsourced production. So it’s reassuring to learn (after Tuesday’s meeting with pharmaceutical CEOs) that he’s trying to do something which, (on the surface) looks pretty good. Unfortunately, after partaking in a bit of ganja and setting the ol’ cog wheels spinning, this doesn’t seem that great for the people, or for marijuana.
The most positive thing to have developed during Tuesday’s meeting, was Trump’s call for lower prices. Something which would allow for an exponential increase in accessibility for those in need of critical medical assistance.
Additionally, the President also addressed the current issues associated with manufacturing western medicine. These included it’s outsourced production, and strict homeland regulations that prevent many companies from producing medications locally. Thereby proving another favorable development that could provide a greater job market for the economy.
At first glance, all this seems to be an excellent opportunity for millions of prescription users everywhere. But underneath the surface of the pretty picture painted, lies other questions. Such as, why were these regulations in place, and why are the pharmaceutical companies taking the idea of a price cut so amicably?
First, lets talk about money. No one ever wants to lose money. Especially corporations.
Let me say this another way.
Corporations want to take as much money from the people as possible -that’s their ultimate goal. So if they’re readily agreeing to price cuts, I’m suspicious. Mainly because there’s a hundred other ways for a company to continually increase profits after taking “price cuts”. One of which, is putting a slight raise on all drugs across the board in conjunction with adding scheduled price increases. A move that would undoubtably increase revenue.
Second, the idea of removing strict regulations that prevent homeland production also seems a little fishy. Anyone can watch one of the trillions of pharmacy commercials available, and lay witness to the infinite side effects that may occur from the use of these products. Many times, doctors have to prescribe additional medicines to combat these side effects. Which raises the question, are these medicines even really good for consumption?
FDA regulations are installed to ensure the health and safety of United States citizens. This makes any attack on those regulations a theoretical attack on our wellbeing. By easing the severity of these regulations, the President would allow less stringent manufacturing processes that would be designed for profitability and productivity, rather than safety and wellbeing.
Ultimately, all of this ignores the numerous benefits of cannabis. A sad reality that prohibits many from understanding the many positives that weed possesses in favor of an outdated, and conservative line of thinking. It’s an ideology that embraces the corporate world and all of its power over us, including our health.
I don’t ask that you give up ‘medicine’, I only ask that you consider all of this next time you unscrew the cap from an orange bottle. People functioned before pharmaceuticals, and they continue to function just fine in other parts of the world without their aid. Still, we can only hope that any deal the President makes is only in the best interest of our nation and it’s people. And not just in the people who run it.
People Use Pot 