Putting DEA on the defensive: Court case puts marijuana prohibition on the stand

[marmar]

from the Detroit Metro Times:


Putting DEA on the defensive
Court case puts marijuana prohibition on the stand

By Larry Gabriel
Published: August 8, 2012


This might be the big one for medical marijuana and marijuana legalization advocates. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., has agreed to hear Americans for Safe Access vs. Drug Enforcement Administration, which challenges the federal classification of marijuana as a Schedule I drug.

The Schedule I classification is one of the biggest arguments against medical marijuana nationwide because Schedule I drugs are defined as having no accepted medical use. Marijuana, heroin, ecstasy, LSD and GHB (the so-called date rape drug) are all classified as Schedule I substances. Marijuana was placed in that classification of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970 on the advice of Assistant Secretary of Health Roger O. Egeberg. In 1972, President Nixon's National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse reported "there is little proven danger of physical or psychological harm from the experimental or intermittent use of the natural preparations of cannabis," but it didn't make any difference. Ignoring the wisdom of his commission, Nixon kept pot on Schedule I and created the War on Drugs to get at political opponents and bolster his stance as the law-and-order guy.

Now the government is going to have to prove in court that marijuana deserves to be a Schedule I drug. Oral arguments are scheduled to start Oct. 16.

This appeal stems from a 2002 petition by the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis — Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is a member of the coalition — to get the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to reschedule marijuana. The DEA dragged its feet until last year when the ASA sued to force the government agency to give an answer. The DEA then denied the petition. That was actually a step forward because the decision opened the door for the ASA to make the DEA prove its position. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://metrotimes.com/mmj/putting-dea-on-the-defensive-1.1355614

[StrictlyRockers]

1. It's about time!!

ASA only had to wait 10 years for the DEA to deny their proposal!!