Sen. Rand Paul and others to introduce federal medical marijuana bill

It is the first time a bill like this has been introduced.

By Thor Benson    March 9, 2015 at 6:28 PM

WASHINGTON, March 9 (UPI) -- Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) will introduce a federal medical marijuana bill on Tuesday.
The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act would end the federal ban on medical marijuana. According to Vox, it would also change marijuana's classification to Schedule 2, instead of its current Schedule 1 status. Schedule 1 means there is no medical benefit to the substance and it is considered dangerous.

Rand Paul, a likely presidential candidate, has spoken out about marijuana in the past. He hasn't quite said it should be legal, but he has said people shouldn't be serving long jail terms for smoking it.

A recent Pew poll found 63 percent of Republican Millennials favor marijuana legalization.


Read more: Sen. Rand Paul and others to introduce federal medical marijuana bill

Effects of Schedule I drug laws on neuroscience research and treatment innovation

Many psychoactive drugs are used recreationally, particularly by young people. This use and its perceived dangers have led to many different classes of drugs being banned under national laws and international conventions. Indeed, the possession of cannabis, 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA; also known as ecstasy) and psychedelics is stringently regulated. An important and unfortunate outcome of the controls placed on these and other psychoactive drugs is that they make research into their mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic uses — for example, in depression and post-traumatic stress disorder — difficult and in many cases almost impossible.

Effects of Schedule I drug laws on neuroscience research and treatment innovation