Federal Judge Hears Legal Arguments In Lawsuit Challenging Marijuana's Schedule I Status
NEW YORK, NY A judge for the Federal District Court in Manhattan heard arguments Wednesday in alawsuitchallenging the constitutionality of federal cannabis prohibition.
The 98-page complaintcontendsthat the federal government does not believe, and upon information and belief never has believed that cannabis meets the requirements for a Schedule I designation under the Controlled Substances Act. It further argues that current administrative mechanisms in place to allow for the reconsideration of cannabis Schedule I classification are illusory.
A judge for the Federal District Court in Sacramento heard similar arguments in a 2014legal challenge, also spearheaded by members of the NORML Legal Committee, but ultimately rejected them opining: At some point in time, a court may decide this status to be unconstitutional. But this is not the court and not the time.
Plaintiffsin the current lawsuit include a former NFL football player, a disabled military veteran, two children with severe movement disorders, and the non-profit group, the Cannabis Cultural Association.
Plaintiffs argue that federal prohibition violates their civil and constitutional liberties, including their right to freely travel within the United States.
They also argue that the federal prohibition of cannabis is grounded ...
