Feb. 18, 1994 – Final Decision in 1972 Court Battle over Marijuana Rescheduling Keeps Marijuana in Schedule I

“In 1972, a petition was submitted to the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (now known as the Drug Enforcement Agency, or DEA) to reschedule marijuana to Schedule II, enabling legal physician prescription. A series of court battles ensued pertaining to this petition for the next 22 years. A final decision was not rendered until February 18, 1994, by the US Court of Appeals (DC Circuit) in which the DEA’s decision to keep marijuana in Schedule I was upheld. While the petition eventually failed, it created an environment of uncertainty regarding the potential federal scheduling of marijuana that persisted throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.”