April 19, 1999

ON DEA’S PROPOSED RECLASSIFICATION OF DRONBINOL (a synthetic form of marijuana, aka Marinol)
See
Two Days After The Medical Marijuana Initiatives
The DEA Proposes Making Marinol A Schedule III Drug!! "Like Codeine With Tylenol."
More Like Cynicism With Desperation

We agree with the Institute of Medicine and the DEA that marijuana has an accepted medical use. We also know that marijuana, and all cannabinoids, including Marinol, have been misclassified as Schedule I drugs by the DEA.
See
How The IOM Report Impacts The Move To Have Medical Marijuana Rescheduled
and links

We disagree with the DEA that Marinol is an adequate medical substitute for marijuana. Marinol’s medical inadequacies render it inappropriate for individual classification without a reclassification of all cannabinoids.

Marinol is an inadequate medical substitute for marijuana because it (the pill) must be taken orally, takes longer to take effect, the dosage cannot be controlled and those who need the medical benefits the most cannot ingest or swallow a pill due to nausea and vomiting.

Marijuana is better medicine than Marinol because, when smoked, mariuana can take effect immediately, its dosage can be easily controlled and there is no need for oral ingestion.

We disagree with the DEA as to the relative abuse potentials of marijuana and Marinol. To be properly included in Schedule I a substance must have a high potential for abuse. The lower the potential for abuse the lower the classification of the substance. The DEA originally classified marijuana as Schedule I based exclusively on the unproven assumption that marijuana "MAY" have a high potential for abuse. The scientific evidence is now clear that marijuana and its related cannabinoids do NOT have a high potential for abuse and, therefore, do not belong in Schedule I.

A public hearing is required to insure that all cannabinoids, including Marijuana and Marinol, are properly reclassified.