DEA Takes a Stand on Medical Marijuana
Medical Marijuana has had an embattled path to legitimacy and the latest from the DEA is that it is not going to be recognized as medicine by that agency.
Nine years ago, a coalition of medical marijuana supporters asked the federal government to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule One drug in recognition of its effectiveness in treating a variety of diseases including glaucoma and multiple sclerosis. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has finally responded and has rejected the request to reschedule marijuana for medical use. The drug will continue to be defined as a Schedule One substance, the same as heroin, cocaine and other non-medical illegal drugs.
The DEA defended its decision by saying that none of the evidence of marijuana's medical effectiveness meets FDA standards for new drug trials. Michele M. Leonhart, a DEA Administrator, responded to the reclassification request with a letter that stated the marijuana has a high potential for abuse and is not safe for use even under medical supervision. Critics of the decision claim that the DEA has obstructed FDA trials by denying free access to research-grade marijuana.
The petition to reclassify marijuana was filed in 2002 by the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis and Americans for Safe Access. Similar petitions to reclassify marijuana have been filed and denied twice in the past, in 1972 and 2001. In both cases the decision was appealed but rejected by the courts. Medical marijuana advocates are planning to challenge the most recent DEA decision. They are also supporting a bill called the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act of 2011 that would end the drug's Schedule One classification and let states regulate its distribution for medical purposes.
Using marijuana for medical purposes is now legal in 16 states and the District of Columbia. Patients who obtain medical marijuana must get written documentation from a physician saying that they have a debilitating condition that will benefit from use of the drug. National polls have found that the majority of Americans support medical marijuana. In addition to helping with glaucoma and MS, the National Cancer Institute has stated that marijuana can help with cancer symptoms and the effects of cancer treatment including pain, insomnia, loss of appetite and nausea. In 2009, the American Medical Association asked the federal government to review marijuana's classification so that more clinical research into its medical use could take place.
Despite what many experts see as a growing body of evidence about the usefulness of medical marijuana, the DEA has concluded that it has no medical use and marijuana is dangerous because its chemistry is not fully understood. According to DEA Administrator Leonhart, it has not yet been shown that the known risks of marijuana outweigh its benefits.
