4/16/2015

NoClarityonConflictingLawsasJudgeKeepsMarijuanaonListofHarmfulDrugsNYTimes.com

http://nyti.ms/1ILqgGh

U.S.

No Clarit on Conflicting Law a Judge Keep Marijuana on Lit of

Harmful Drug
ALAN SCHWARZ

APRIL 15, 2015

AfederaljudgedeclinedonWednesdaytoordertheremovalofmarijuanafromtheDrugEnforcement
Administrationslistofthemostharmfulandaddictivedrugs,disappointingthosewhohadhopedthecourts
mighthelpsettlegrowingconflictsbetweenfederalandstatelaws.
JudgeKimberlyJ.MuellerofUnitedStatesDistrictCourtinSacramentoheardtestimonyonwhether
marijuanabelongedalongsideheroinandLSDontheDrugEnforcementAdministrationsScheduleIlist:
substancesclassifiedashavingnocurrentlyacceptedmedicaluseandahighpotentialforabuse.
Asmorehasbeenlearnedaboutmarijuanastherapeuticproperties,however,23states,including
California,havelegalizedtheuseofmedicalcannabis,andfourstateshaveapproveditsrecreationaluse,
creatingconfusiononhoworwhetherfederallawwillbeenforced.
JudgeMuellerwillcontinuetopresideoverthecase,inwhichthefederalgovernmentisprosecuting16
meninCaliforniaaccusedofconspiringtogrowmorethan1,000marijuanaplantsinShastaTrinityNational

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4/16/2015

NoClarityonConflictingLawsasJudgeKeepsMarijuanaonListofHarmfulDrugsNYTimes.com

Forest.
Defenselawyershadarguedincourtfilingsthatthechargesshouldbedismissedinpartbecause
marijuanasScheduleIclassificationwasarbitraryandunconstitutional.Theyassertedthatthe10th
Amendmentbarredthefederalgovernmentfromsupersedingstatelawslegalizingmarijuanaformedicinal
use.JudgeMuellerruledthatanyadjustmentstothelawwerebetterlefttoCongress.Thisisnotthecourt
andthisisnotthetime,shesaidWednesday,accordingtoareportbyTheAssociatedPress.Awrittenruling
willbeissuedbytheendoftheweek.
Thedecisiondismayedadvocatesofmarijuanalegalization.
Themedicalbenefitsofcannabisareundeniable,saidJeremyNorrie,amedicalmarijuanauserin
WestHollywood,Calif.,whooperatestheSecretCup,acannabistradeshow.TokeepitintheScheduleI
classificationisknowinglyignorant.Itseemsmoretomethatthisjudgewantedtoavoidcontroversyand
havingtodealwiththeissue.Wedontseeanywherenearthekindofpublicproblemsthattheotherdrugsin
ScheduleIhave.
AspokesmanfortheD.E.A.,MatthewR.Barden,saiditwouldnotcommentuntilofficialssawJudge
Muellerswrittenruling.
Therulingisoneofseveralindicationsthatsomeresolutionbetweenfederalandstatemarijuanalaws
maybeapproaching.In2013,theJusticeDepartmentrecommendedthatfederalofficialsnottarget
dispensaries,growersandpatientswhocompliedwithstatemarijuanalawsandhadnolinkstocartelsor
interstatesmuggling.
Moreover,the2015appropriationsbillpassedbyCongressinDecemberbarredtheJusticeDepartment
fromspendingmoneytointerferewithanystateseffortstocarryoutitsmedicalmarijuanalaws.TheJustice
Departmenthascounteredthatitcanstillprosecuteviolationsofthefederalmarijuanabanandcontinue
casesalreadyinthecourts.

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