Thursday, July 14th, 2011
Great article from The Atlantic:
“… the DEA, a liberty impinging branch of the federal government, insists against overwhelming evidence that a plant called marijuana “has no accepted medical use in the United States, and lacks an acceptable level of safety for use even under medical supervision.”
That dubious determination is what keeps marijuana classified as a Schedule 1 drug, the only kind that cannot be prescribed by physicians. It is more tightly controlled than raw opium, methadone, and anabolic steroids, among many other drugs far more harmful to the human body, and more prone to abuse than cannabis.
Is that something the DEA can defend in court?
Americans For Safe Access (ASA) intends to find out. The advocacy group has spent years petitioning to change marijuana’s designation so that doctors can prescribe it to patients. Last month, the DEA officially denied their request. In response, the group intends to sue. “The federal government is making no bones about its aggressive policy to undermine medical marijuana,” said ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer. “And we’re prepared to take the Obama administration to court over it…”
Read the entire story with links and videos on The Atlantic’s website.
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Friday, July 8th, 2011
From Josh Richman in the Politcal Blotter at ibabuzz.com -
A coalition of marijuana advocates say their lawsuit filed in May deserves credit for forcing the federal government to answer a request to remove marijuana from the list of most-restricted drugs. The government’s answer, of course, was “No.” But the advocates say at least this will free them to go to an appeals court to directly challenge the government’s claim that marijuana has no medical value.
Read the entire blog on ibabozz.com
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Thursday, July 7th, 2011
Medical cannabis providers all over the United States are worried about a memo released by US Deputy Attorney General James Cole on June 29. The memo seeks to clarify the Department of Justice (DOJ) position on medical cannabis in states where it is legal, but advocates contend it ups the ante by rattling sabers at legal providers, public officials, and others. Read what Americans for Safe Access (ASA) has to say on its blog (here and here) and in its press release to get more background and analysis on the memo.
The memo is intimidating for those in the field of medical cannabis and those looking to join. Federal law has not changed. Medical cannabis is illegal under federal law, even in states where it is legal. Providers can still be raided, arrested, and prosecuted. It is unlikely we have seen the last American convicted in federal court and imprisoned for a medical cannabis crime. That sad fact should be enough to make medical cannabis professionals weigh the costs and benefits of their actions very carefully.
(more…)
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Thursday, June 30th, 2011
US Deputy AG James Cole
From nj.com -
State medical marijuana programs and the people who work for them are not likely to run afoul of federal law if they keep their operations small and controlled, and don’t allow growers to create “industrial marijuana cultivation centers,” according to an eagerly-awaited letter from the Obama administration.
Read the entire story online.
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