Federal Government Continues to Just Say No to Medical Marijuana Classification

Marijuana has been approved by many states and the nation's capital to treat a range of illnesses, including MS, but the federal government has ruled that it has no accepted medical use and should remain classified as a dangerous drug like heroin.

The recent announcement comes almost nine years after medical marijuana supporters asked the government to reclassify cannabis to take into account a growing body of worldwide research that shows its effectiveness in treating certain diseases, such as glaucoma and multiple sclerosis.

Advocates for the medical use of the drug criticized the ruling but said they were elated that the current administration had finally acted, which allows them to appeal to the federal courts, where they believe they can get a fairer hearing.

The decision to deny the request was made by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and comes less than two months after advocates asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to force the administration to respond to their petition.

Joe Elford, the chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access and the lead counsel on the recently filed lawsuit, noted that studies demonstrate pot has beneficial effects, including appetite stimulation for people undergoing chemotherapy.

DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart sent a letter dated June 21st to the organizations that filed a petition for the change. The letter and the documentation that she used to back up her decision were published Friday in the Federal Register.

Leonhart said she rejected the request because marijuana "has a high potential for abuse," "has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States," and "lacks accepted safety for use under medical supervision."..


Source: MSF

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