April 14, 2014
Dear Patients and Friends,
I am calling you to action. Now is the time to demand that the Obama Administration remove marijuana (cannabis) from the Controlled Substance Act.
As a physician, I have seen thousands of cases respond favorably to medical cannabis. State by state, patient by patient, cannabis is returning to its former status as a versatile and widely used medical herb. The federal government classifies cannabis as a dangerous Schedule I substance that has no medical value, which is about as accurate as saying the moon is made of green cheese. This classification impedes research, turns patients into criminals, and wastes billions of dollars of resources.
Please contact the Obama Administration now to show your support for the long-overdue removal of cannabis from the Controlled Substance Act. I have included a form letter below – feel free to modify and send to the White House.
Thank you,
Dustin Sulak, D.O.
1. Online petition
Has 116,000 signatures already, needs hundreds of thousands more.
2. Call the White House and leave your comments:
202-456-1111
3. Send a letter to President Obama:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments
Dear President Obama,
I am writing to demand that you exercise your executive authority to remove marijuana (cannabis) from the Controlled Substance Act.
As you know, marijuana is listed as a Schedule 1 substance, indicating that it has a high potential for abuse, has no currently accepted medical use, and is so dangerous that it cannot be used safely, even under medical supervision. Schedule 1 criteria are clearly inconsistent with the scientific understanding of marijuana.
In January 2014, you stated that marijuana is safer than alcohol during an interview with The New Yorker magazine. Alcohol is not listed in the Controlled Substance Act. I ask that you take action to make sure federal law reflects this fact.
In February 2014, eighteen members of congress signed a letter calling on you to remove cannabis from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substance Act. No action has been taken by your administration.
The Controlled Substance Act authorizes the Attorney General to change the scheduling of substances, in consultation with the secretary of Health and Human Services and the DEA.
Attorney General Eric Holder recently stated, “We’d be more than glad to work with Congress if there is a desire to look at and reexamine how the drug is scheduled.”
The medical and scientific communities acknowledge the medical value of cannabis. Numerous peer-reviewed pre-clinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the medical utility of cannabis. The 1999 Institute of Medicine report, “Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base,” clearly describes the medical value of cannabis, which is inconsistent with Schedule 1 status.
The erroneous scheduling of cannabis has not limited the access of this herb to most Americans. It has, however, impeded medical research, created conflict between state and federal laws, and wasted law enforcement resources.
Please take immediate action steps to remove the schedule 1 status of cannabis. This is completely within the authority of the executive branch.
Sincerely,
