SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - One of the nation's largest medical groups is urging the federal government to ease its ban on medical marijuana. Some doctors hope it could lead to more research into the possible therapeutic benefits of the drug.
The American College of Physicians wants the government to drop marijuana from its Schedule One Classification, where it is listed with such drugs as heroin. "One more step towards legitimizing the industry and cannabis as medicine," a supportive Richard Lee, president of Oaksterdam University, which trains people to work at medical marijuana dispensaries, explained.
"I think it's great," echoed Oakland resident Angel Raich, who suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. She lost her fight over medical marijuana before the Supreme Court. "The federal government for years has claimed that there is no medical use to cannabis."
The White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy calls the idea of legalizing medical marijuana misguided, arguing that the approval for marijuana as a medicine should come from the FDA.
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KCBS' Janice Wright reports
