Here's the breakdown on the recent political news surrounding the two parties' platforms when it comes to medicinal marijuana.
Federally, marijuana or cannabis is categorized as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.
According to the DEA, "Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence."
Other drugs considered to be Schedule I include heroin and ecstasy.
The other day, the Democratic Party decided to endorse a plan that they see as a "pathway" to cannabis legalization.
One of the key stepping stones on this pathway would be to change marijuana's classification under the Controlled Substances Act.
The Republican delegates just voted at the GOP Platform Committee meeting on Monday as to whether or not they would be backing medicinal marijuana.
Using unfounded reasoning, delegates likened marijuana's addictive properties with drugs such as OxyContin and Percocet.
With only a portion of the republican delegates able to see the potential medicinal qualities of marijuana, it was voted down in their second vote.
References & Further Reading:
DEA Drug Schedules & Definitions
The Controlled Substances Act of 1970 - Overview
"Democrats call for 'pathway' to marijuana legalization" - David Weigel (Washington Post)
"Medical Marijuana Fails To Make GOP Platform After Vigorous Debate" - Igor Bobic (Huffington Post)
Image Credit - Wikimedia Commons
