When the New York Times comes calling…Will the Feds Legalize it?

There are
a few remarkable moments in history when social policy change visibly reaches a
turning point.  Very recently, we saw
such a turning point in the cannabis legalization movement, when the editorial
board of the New York Times (NYT)
published their editorial entitled Repeal Prohibition, Again.  The
article specifically calls on the Federal Government to repeal the ban on cannabis and dives deeply into the expensive
hypocrisy that is cannabis prohibition.
In response to the NYT article, the Office of National Drug
Control Policy fired back with ill formed arguments on the addiction rates and
fatalities associated with cannabis.

Regardless . . . the Feds consider legalizing
low level thc strains for medicinal purposes

The
Federal government is looking into changing their drug policy to allow certain
strains of medicinal cannabis. Currently, there is a bill in the House of
Representatives to be proposed which would legalize cannabis with low levels of
THC. Backers of the bill have seen the benefits from using medical cannabis as
a treatment for certain ailments, such as epilepsy. Thus, this new bill
proposes to amend the current Controlled Substances Act, and to allow for
cannabis strains with a low percentage of THC.

Scientific
facts

Why
cannabis with a low level of THC? THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical
compound in cannabis, which, when taken, latches onto the brain and gives the
“high” sensation. THC carries some medicinal purposes, such as pain relief and
working as an anti-inflammatory.  But the
federal government is not concerned with the effects of THC in the body but
more interested in the effects of CBD, another chemical compound in cannabis.

CBD or
cannabidiol is a chemical compound in cannabis that can quiet excessive
electrical and chemical signals in the brain. CBD is beneficial to those who
suffer from seizures or epilepsy. Studies and reports have shown that the
cannabis oils with a higher concentration of the CBD chemical compound have
been helping children with epilepsy lessen their seizures drastically.

Legal facts

The bill called
the Charlotte’s Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014, is being proposed by Scott Perry
(R-Pennsylvania), Paul Brown (R-Georgia) and Steven Cohen (D-Tennessee). The
bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act, which currently bunches cannabis
with cocaine and heroin as a Schedule I narcotic. The Controlled Substances Act
would be amended to legalize cannabis strains with THC content of less than 0.3
percent for medical purposes.

The bill’s
name came from a case in Colorado, where the parents of a young girl named
Charlotte Figi’s campaigned nationwide for easier access to medical marijuana
after they controlled their daughter’s seizures with cannabis oil. Many other
families in similar situations have uprooted their lives to go live in Colorado
and seek treatment for themselves and/or their loved ones. Perry believes
families should not be separated or take such drastic measures to seek
treatment and thus has proposed the bill, but not without obstacles.

Battles for MMJ Legalization

Fortunately,
besides the battle between the NYT and
the Feds, to further define the uses of cannabis, hemp can now be grown for
academic and research purposes. However, that has not stopped the DEA from
seizing cannabis being transported to research facilities. Reactively, the Appropriations
Committee has passed another amendment that stops funding the DEA for anti- cannabis
enforcement.

It’s
looking like the cannabis legalization campaign has gained impressive wind in
its sails and legalization is a real possibility on the federal level, whether
it be for medicinal purposes or just full legalization!

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Meital Manzuri is a Los Angeles-based criminal defense
attorney, speaker and consultant for patients, collectives and dispensaries. If
you have questions about medical cannabis or any other criminal defense
matters, she can be contacted via phone at (310) 601-3140 or Manzurilaw.com.