The Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. Section 811 et. seq. (CSA), enacted in 1970, provides that marijuana is a “Schedule I” drug because, in the words of the CSA, it has a “high potential for abuse,” “no currently accepted medical use in treatment,” and “there is a lack of accepted safety for use … under medical supervision.” Accordingly, under the CSA, it is unlawful to “manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense,” marijuana in any form.
That said, an increasing number of states have enacted state legislation legalizing the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Since California first legalized medical marijuana in 1996, 22 other states and the District of Columbia have passed similar legislation, and 10 of those jurisdictions enacted their medical marijuana regulations since 2010. In 2014, legislation to legalize medical marijuana was proposed in 11 other states, including Pennsylvania, where SB 1182, titled the “Gov. Raymond Shafer Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act,” sponsored by state Sen. Mike Folmer, R-Lebanon, was introduced to the General Assembly on Jan. 15.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information.
For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected]
