Global Ganja Report

The Colorado Independent reported Dec. 8 that Colorado is joining Rhode Island and Washington state in petitioning the federal government to "change the schedule of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act." Colorado is required by state law to file its own such request before the end of the year. The Centennial State legalized medical marijuana in 2000 through voter approval of Amendment 20, which was itself later amended by three enabling laws. One such law passed last year, HB 10-1284, requires:

In recognition of the potential medical value of medical marijuana, [the Department of Revenue] make a request by January 1, 2012 to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration to consider rescheduling, for pharmaceutical purposes, medical marijuana from a schedule I controlled substance to a schedule II controlled substance.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said he will not sign on to the petition already launched by Rhode Island and Washington, but is instead opting to have the state Department of Revenue submit its own petition. (Opposing Views, Dec. 8)

Graphic: Herbal Remedies