Legal medical
marijuana in the U.S. has a rather lengthy history. The drug was once
regulated in at least 35 states in the 1930s, thanks to the Uniform State
Narcotic Drug Act. Much has changed since then, as various states have either abolished
or reformed their marijuana laws to ban or control the use of the drug,
respectively. As of June 27, 2014, 23 states allow the use of marijuana for
medical purposes.
In general, medical marijuana can only be obtained
through dispensaries and/or licensed medical practices in the U.S., though the
specifics actually differ in each state. Patients in Nevada, for example, are required
to present an ID card indicating that medical marijuana was recommended (not
prescribed) by their doctors to treat their ailment(s), although they aren’t
allowed to get the drug from dispensaries. Minnesota, meanwhile, allows
dispensaries to provide marijuana but only as liquid extracts.
Regardless of how states regulate the distribution
of the drug, the federal government maintains the position that marijuana is a
dangerous narcotic. At present, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I drug
(Controlled Substances Act of 1970), with high potential for abuse. The debate on
whether or not the federal government should interfere with state laws on
marijuana, even for medical purposes, continues to this day.
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