Key Factors Surrounding the Debate of Rescheduling Marijuana in the United States

In the United States marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug, the strictest category of controlled substances. In order for a substance to be considered a Schedule I drug, it must meet three criteria. First, the substance must have a high potential for abuse. Secondly, the drug must have no accepted medical value. Lastly, the drug must lack an acceptable level of safety of its use under medical supervision. Many Americans believe that marijuana does not meet Schedule I criteria and, consequently, should undergo the process of being rescheduled.

Advocates of rescheduling marijuana feel that the substance does not have a high potential for abuse. This conclusion is based on scientific experiments in which laboratory animals do no self-administer the drug. The addictive quality of craving the substance is not present.

Marijuana has also been accepted by scientists, physicians, patients, and others to have medical value. For example, it aids cancer patients by fighting off nausea. Currently, twelve states have recognized marijuana's medical potential. Additionally, over 2,500 physicians presently recommend the use of marijuana to their patients. There are approximately 35,000 patients in the United States who legally use marijuana for a variety of medical reasons.

Rescheduling advocates also claim that marijuana is not a risk to one's safety. The exception to this is the damage done to the lungs and throat. This damage is equivalent to and possibly less than that of smoking tobacco cigarettes. Marijuana's spectrum of side effects, advocates argue, is equivalent to the effects of many prescription medications.