On Tuesday the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the Drug Enforcement Agency does not have to reconsider its designation of marijuana as a “Schedule 1” drug. Schedule 1 is the most restrictive category for controlled substances. It includes drugs that have a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.
The classification is being challenged by a coalition of medical marijuana advocacy organizations and individual patients. Since 1996, seventeen states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation or ballot initiatives legalizing the use of medical marijuana. But the DEA continues to treat it as a dangerous drug on a par with heroin.
Tamar Todd, senior staff attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance, says yesterday’s court ruling maintains the status quo.
