MedicalMJ.org - Medical Marijuana News And Facts

The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 established five categories, or "schedules," into which all illicit and prescription drugs were put. Cannabis was positioned in Schedule I, which defines the substance as having a high capacity for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in the United States, and an absence of accepted safety for usage under medical guidance. To contrast, over 90 released reports and research studies have actually revealed cannabis has medical effectiveness.
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Source: The Controlled Substances Act of 1970, 21 U.S.C. § § 801 et seq.; Common Sense for Drug Policy, Compendium of Reports, Research and Articles Demonstrating the Effectiveness of Medical Marijuana, Vol. I & Vol. II (Falls Church, VA: Common Sense for Drug Policy, March 1997).



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The U.S. Penal Code mentions that any person can be sent to prison for up to one year for ownership of one cannabis cigarette and locked up for as much as 5 years for growing a single cannabis plant.



Source: The Controlled Substances Act of 1970, 21 U.S.C. § § 801 et seq.






. On September 6, 1988, the Drug Enforcement Administration's Chief Administrative Law Judge, Francis L. Young, ruled:

"Marijuana, in its natural kind, is among the safest therapeutically active substances known ... [T] he arrangements of the [Controlled Substances & # 093 Act permit and require the transfer of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule II. It would be unreasonable, approximate and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand between those victims and the advantages of this substance."



Source: US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition," [Docket # 86-22] (September 6, 1988), p. 57.






The DEA's Administrative Law Judge, Francis Young concluded: "In strict medical terms cannabis is far much safer than many foods we frequently take in. For example, consuming 10 raw potatoes can lead to a poisonous reaction. By comparison, it Is There A Difference Between Street Marijuana And Medical Marijuana? physically difficult to consume sufficient cannabis to cause death. Cannabis in its natural kind is among the most safe therapeutically active compounds known to male. By any measure of logical analysis cannabis can be safely used within the monitored routine of medical care."



Source: US Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency, "In the Matter of Marijuana Rescheduling Petition," [Docket # 86-22], (September 6, 1988), p. 57.






Between 1978 and 1997, 35 states and the District of Columbia passed legislation acknowledging cannabis's medicinal value.

States consist of: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IA, LA, MA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, and WI.