Washington, DC: The United States Drug

Enforcement Administration (DEA) has rejected a pair of administrative rescheduling

petitions challenging the federal classification of cannabis as a

Schedule I controlled substance with no accepted medical utility.

The decision continues to classify marijuana in the same category

as heroin.

However, in a separate announcement, the agency said that it is

adopting policy changes designed to expand the production of

research-grade cannabis for FDA-approved clinical protocols.

Presently, any clinical trial involving cannabis must access

source material cultivated at the University of Mississippi – an arbitrary

prohibition that is not in place for other controlled substances.

Today, the agency announced for the first time that it will

consider applications from multiple parties, including private

entities, to produce marijuana for FDA-approved research protocols

as well as for “commercial product development.” Ironically, this

change was

initially recommended by the DEA’s own administrative law judge

in 2007, but that decision was ultimately

rejected by the agency in 2011.

Commenting on the DEA’s actions, NORML Deputy Director Paul

Armentano said: “While this announcement is a significant step

toward better facilitating and expanding clinical investigations

into cannabis’ therapeutic efficacy, ample

scientific evidence already exists to remove cannabis from its

schedule I classification and to acknowledge its relative safety

compared to other scheduled substances, like opioids, and

unscheduled substances, such as alcohol. Ultimately, the federal

government ought to remove cannabis from the Controlled

Substances Act altogether in a manner similar to alcohol and

tobacco, thus providing states the power to establish their own

marijuana regulatory policies free from federal intrusion.”

He added: “Since the DEA has failed to take such action, then it

is incumbent that members of Congress act swiftly to amend

cannabis’ criminal status in a way that comports with both public

and scientific opinion. Failure to do so continues the federal

government’s ‘Flat Earth’ position. It willfully ignores the

well-established therapeutic properties associated with the plant

and it ignores the laws in 26 states

recognizing marijuana’s therapeutic efficacy.”

A recent review of FDA-approved clinical studies evaluating the

safety and efficacy of herbal cannabis concluded: “Based on

evidence currently available the Schedule I classification is not

tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or

that Information on safety is lacking.”

Added Armentano: “The DEA’s decision is strictly a political

one. There is nothing scientific about willful ignorance.”

The DEA has previously rejected several other rescheduling

petitions, including a 2002 petition filed by a coalition of marijuana law

reform and health advocacy organizations, and a 1972 petition filed

by NORML. The petitions that triggered this latest DEA action were

filed in 2009 by a nurse practitioner and in

2011 by then-Govs. Christine Gregoire of Washington and Lincoln

Chafee of Rhode Island.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML

Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.

Share this: Twitter

Facebook

