The final stage before the judge makes their decision has been completed in the hearing to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III. And now, we’re also able to see the official documents in the case. Prior to this moment, the hearing was limited to a selected group of media officials and recorders were not allowed in the courtroom.
“Marijuana no longer fits the statutory requirements for Schedule I because it has a currently accepted medical use within the United States and it has an accepted safety for its use under medical supervision,” the DEA says in its brief to the judge.
“Currently there are over 30,000 practitioners treating more than six million patients in 43 U.S. jurisdictions. Such practices demonstrate that there is no longer a lack of accepted safety for use of marijuana under medical supervision, and as such, marijuana does not fulfill the requirements of being a Schedule I substance.”
They’re making a pretty good case if you ask me.
The anti-marijuana side also released their brief. In it, they argue that a consideration to reschedule marijuana has happened at least nine times in the past, and “on each occasion, after reviewing the available scientific evidence and applying the criteria specified by the Controlled Substances Act, the Government determined that marijuana must remain in Schedule I because it (i) has a high risk of abuse, (ii) has no currently accepted medical use, and (iii) cannot be used safely under medical supervision.”
They disagreement hinges directly on the “currently accepted medical use” section, and it’s up to the judge whether or not the DEA argued strongly enough that its medical use is generally accepted.
It may be a few weeks before we find out the Judge’s decision, but until then we can mull over how each side argued in the case.
Read the original article over at Marijuana Moment.
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