Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
A New Jersey appeals court has ordered state regulators to reconsider whether marijuana deserves being categorized as a Schedule 1 substance lacking medical value in light of its “abundantly and glaringly apparent” health benefits.
The 2-1 ruling handed down Tuesday by a state appellate court requires the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to reconsider the plant’s legal standing in light of lawmakers legalizing medical marijuana in 2010. The Garden State is one of more than two dozen where doctors can currently recommend cannabis to patients suffering from certain illnesses.
New Jersey agreed in 1971 to adopt the federal government’s classification of marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance, putting pot in the same category as heroin, LSD and other drugs deemed to have a “high potential for abuse” and no medical value.
But more than 45 years after passing the New Jersey Controlled Dangerous Substance Act (CDSA), the majority opinion delivered Tuesday acknowledged that researchers have since linked the plant to potential health benefits, evidenced arguably most clearly by the existing of medical marijuana programs present in 29 states and Washington, D.C., New Jersey included.
“Medical benefits from the use of marijuana not known in 1971, when the CDSA became effective … and impediments to its lawful use as a result of its Schedule 1 classification, are abundant and glaringly apparent now,” the opinion said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New Jersey regulators ordered to consider reclassifying marijuana's legal status - Washington Times
Author: Andrew Blake
Contact: Contact Us - Washington Times
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Washington Times - Politics, Breaking News, US and World News
The 2-1 ruling handed down Tuesday by a state appellate court requires the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) to reconsider the plant’s legal standing in light of lawmakers legalizing medical marijuana in 2010. The Garden State is one of more than two dozen where doctors can currently recommend cannabis to patients suffering from certain illnesses.
New Jersey agreed in 1971 to adopt the federal government’s classification of marijuana as a Schedule 1 substance, putting pot in the same category as heroin, LSD and other drugs deemed to have a “high potential for abuse” and no medical value.
But more than 45 years after passing the New Jersey Controlled Dangerous Substance Act (CDSA), the majority opinion delivered Tuesday acknowledged that researchers have since linked the plant to potential health benefits, evidenced arguably most clearly by the existing of medical marijuana programs present in 29 states and Washington, D.C., New Jersey included.
“Medical benefits from the use of marijuana not known in 1971, when the CDSA became effective … and impediments to its lawful use as a result of its Schedule 1 classification, are abundant and glaringly apparent now,” the opinion said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: New Jersey regulators ordered to consider reclassifying marijuana's legal status - Washington Times
Author: Andrew Blake
Contact: Contact Us - Washington Times
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Washington Times - Politics, Breaking News, US and World News
