Feds reject request to reclassify marijuana; say it's not a safe and effective medicine
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 (UPI) --
The Drug Enforcement Administration on Thursday is expected to reject requests to reclassify marijuana, continuing the federal prohibition against the drug's use for medical purposes.
The DEA will turn down requests to remove marijuana from the Schedule I drug classification under the Controlled Substances Act.
Schedule I drugs are those considered to have a high potential for abuse, and no accepted medical use, and which it is therefore illegal to make, possess and distribute. They include LSD and heroin, along with marijuana.
Drug Enforcement Administration chief Chuck Rosenberg said the decision to keep marijuana on the Schedule I list is based on the Food and Drug Administration's conclusion that it has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.
This decision isn't based on danger. This decision is based on whether marijuana, as determined by the FDA, is a safe and effective medicine -- and it's not,
Rosenberg said, adding that the DEA continues to support efforts to advance scientific research on marijuana.
The decision to keep marijuana as a Schedule I drug instead of Schedule II, a less strictly regulated category made up of drugs including highly addictive oxycodone and methamphetamine, will continue to divide the federal government from 25 states, as well as Washington, D.C., that have passed laws permitting the medical use of marijuana, with restrictions.
Five states are voting on the legalization of recreational marijuana use this November. The National Cannabis Industry Association said the DEA's decision flies in the face of objective science and overwhelming public opinion.
Continuing marijuana prohibition forces critically ill people to suffer needlessly, leaves life-changing treatments undeveloped, and keeps patients and providers in limbo between state and federal laws,
NCIA Executive Director Aaron Smith said in a statement.
Source: United Press International (August 11, 2016 - 9:09 AM EDT)
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