Why is marijuana a schedule 1 drug?

Marijuana is in the same class of drugs according to the DEA’s description.

“Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs are the most dangerous drugs of all the drug schedules with potentially severe psychological or physical dependence.”  DEA

This is puzzling because

 1. Marijuana is now being used medically

2. It does not create severe dependence

So why is Marijuana still classified as a Schedule I?

There are currently 17 states that have legalized marijuana as a medical use. This drug can be used for nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle tension and spasms, pain, and insomnia. A lot of these of symptoms for a variety of major medical diseases such as, cancer and chemotherapy patients, AIDS patients, MS patients, etc.

As for the addictiveness of marijuana, only about 10% of users become addicted. This relates to 23% of heroine users and 17% of cocaine users, but more surprisingly, 32% of tobacco users and 15% of alcohol users.

This does not answer my question, but only confirms it. Marijuana should not be considered a Schedule I drug as it can be used medically, and it does not create a severe dependence like the other drugs in it’s class.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/5-common-uses-of-medical-cannabis1.htm

http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/marijuana-abuse/marijuana-addictive

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-teenage-mind/201012/is-marijuana-addictive

http://www.justice.gov/dea/pr/multimedia-library/publications/drug_of_abuse.pdf#page=60

Chelsea Grzeskowiak