NCJ Number
188889
Journal
Federal Register Volume: 66 Issue: 75 Dated: April 18, 2001 Pages: 20038-20076
Date Published
April 2001
Length
39 pages
Annotation
By letter dated March 20, 2001, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) denied a petition to initiate rulemaking proceedings to reschedule marijuana; this report presents the letter sent to the petitioner, along with the supporting documentation that was attached to the letter.
Abstract
The petitioner requested that DEA remove marijuana from schedule I based on his assertion that there was no scientific evidence that marijuana has sufficient abuse potential to warrant schedule I or II status under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In accordance with the CSA rescheduling provisions, DEA gathered the necessary data and forwarded that information and the petition to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a scientific and medical evaluation and scheduling recommendation. HHS concluded that marijuana does have a high potential for abuse and therefore recommended that marijuana remain in schedule I. Based on the HHS evaluation and all other relevant data, DEA concluded that there was no substantial evidence that marijuana should be removed from schedule I. Accordingly, the DEA denied the petition to initiate rulemaking proceedings to reschedule marijuana. A detailed explanation of the DEA's response to the petitioner is provided in this report. 2 tables and 252 references