Government marijuana program

The government stopped accepting new patients to its program in due to a crackdown on crime and public health authorities concluding it had no scientific value. But Uncle Sam has since continued to supply marijuana to the four living patients "for compassionate reasons," according to Steven Gust of the U. National Institute on Drug Abuse. These patients have been relying on the drug to help with their health problems for decades. Irvin Rosenfeld, who entered the program in , suffers from a rare bone disorder and uses marijuana to treat his pain.

Rosenfeld is an outspoken public advocate of the government's medical marijuana program. George McMahon has been receiving joints from the government since March McMahon suffers from a rare neurological disease known as Nail Patella Syndrome NPS , characterized by abnormalities of the nails, knees, elbows, and pelvis.

George McMahon left , Irvin Rosenfeld and Elvy Musikka, three of the four living patients, are pictured here at a conference for Patients Out of Time, a medical marijuana advocacy group.

An Official Pennsylvania Government Website. Department of Health. How to Get Medical Marijuana. How to Renew my Registration. Find a Practitioner. Find a Dispensary. MPP Executive Director Steven Hawkins will serve as the Interim CEO of the USCC, which will focus on securing federal reforms that advance social equity and promote fair, safe, and well-regulated markets nationwide as states continue legalizing cannabis at a rapid rate.

It aspires to become a leading resource for cannabis policy in the U. On the federal level, marijuana remains illegal. The federal government classifies marijuana, along with heroin and cocaine, as a Schedule I drug with a high potential for abuse and little to no medical benefit.

However, 18 U. Virgin Islands allow for comprehensive public medical marijuana programs. Contained within the federal budget are provisions to protect states' rights to responsibly regulate medical marijuana programs.

Since December , the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment has prohibited the Justice Department from spending funds to interfere with the implementation of state medical marijuana laws. This amendment must be renewed each fiscal year in order to remain in effect and has been included in a series of spending bills.

House has voted twice to end the crackdown on medical marijuana, demonstrating bipartisan support for real federal marijuana policy change. There is now more momentum than ever for ending prohibition. However, it also limited medical use due to fees and regulatory restrictions that imposed a significant burden on doctors prescribing marijuana.

Marijuana was placed in the Schedule I category, thereby prohibiting its use for any purpose. However, the Clinton administration opined its opposition to the proposition and threatened to revoke the prescription-writing abilities of doctors who recommended or prescribed the drug.

McCaffrey , which allows physicians to recommend — but not prescribe — medical marijuana. Deputy Attorney General David Ogden issued a memorandum with guidelines for federal enforcement while also largely affirming the earlier-stated hands-off approach for state-legal medical marijuana activities.