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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 21, 2015 11:09 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Mark B. Cohen |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Resolution Petitioning for the Rescheduling of Cannabis |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution petitioning the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule II controlled substance within their respective jurisdictions. My resolution also urges the Pennsylvania Drug, Device and Cosmetic Board to hold hearings on the rescheduling of cannabis. Cannabis, more commonly referred to as marijuana, was legal in the United States until 1937 when Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act. In fact, the United States Pharmacopeia had cannabis on its list of pharmaceuticals from 1850 until 1942 for the treatment of pain, nausea and rheumatism. At the same time, hemp was being cultivated and used for clothing, rope, oils and paper. In 1972, the Shafer Commission, established by President Nixon at the direction of Congress, studied laws regarding cannabis and determined that personal use of cannabis should be decriminalized. President Nixon rejected the recommendation, but throughout the 1970s, states began to decriminalize cannabis and reduce penalties. Currently, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis in some form. Clearly, the long-standing classification of medical use of cannabis as an illegal Schedule I controlled substance is fundamentally flawed and should be changed at both the Federal and State levels. Please join me in this resolution petitioning the Secretary of Health of the Commonwealth and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule II controlled substance within their respective jurisdictions. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Seidl of my office at 7-4117 or kseidl@pahouse.net. |
Introduced as HR373