The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 recognized 5 classifications, or "schedules," into which all illegal and prescription drugs were placed. Cannabis was put in Schedule I, which defines the compound as having a high potential for abuse, no presently accepted medical use in the United States, and an absence of accepted safety for usage under medical supervision. To contrast, over 90 published reports and research studies have shown cannabis has medical efficacy.



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).






The U.S. Penal Code mentions that anyone can be locked up for approximately one year for ownership of one cannabis cigarette and imprisoned for as much as five 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 form, is one of the best 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, arbitrary and capricious for the DEA to continue to stand in between those sufferers and the benefits of this compound."



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 stringent medical terms cannabis is far much safer than numerous foods we commonly take in. For example, consuming 10 raw potatoes can result in a poisonous action. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat adequate cannabis to induce death. Cannabis in its natural kind is among the most safe therapeutically active compounds known to man. By any measure of rational analysis cannabis can be securely used within the monitored regimen of treatment."
alternativer-drogenbericht.de


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 recognizing Cannabis Docs of MD's medical 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.