Federal government continues to call marijuana a dangerous drug

By Jeff Van Sant 


PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK) - Under federal law, marijuana remains a Schedule I drug, the same category as heroin. The feds announced that marijuana will remain under that classification, saying the drug's medicinal value hasn't been proven scientifically.

"Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse," according to the Drug Enforcement Administration's web page explaining drug schedules. "Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence."

More than 25 states already allow for medical marijuana, including the District of Columbia. Two states, Colorado and Washington have made marijuana legal altogether.

The battle over legalizing marijuana is front and center in the November election here in Arizona.

Supporters of legalization say the federal government's reiteration of its classification won't have much of an effect on voters.

JP Holyoak, the founder of Arizona Natural Selections says the facts don't align with what the government is saying.

"This is a political problem," he said. "We have an entrenched interest in this country that's built around the prohibition of marijuana."

Other legal experts like Jonathan Frutkin say voters are well-informed on the issue. He believes the government's classification won't make a difference.

"You have so many people focused on Donald Trump and so many people focused on Hillary Clinton that so many issues like this don't really get decided until the last minute," Frutkin said.

While the federal government won't change the classification, it does say it will increase the amount of research into marijuana and its effects on dealing with chronic pain.