DEA Says More Than 30,000 Practitioners Are Treating Over Six Million Medical Marijuana Patients in 43 U.S. Jurisdictions
- Over 30,000 healthcare practitioners are treating more than six million medical marijuana patients across 43 U.S. jurisdictions, according to federal government data.
- The DEA highlighted these figures during a federal marijuana rescheduling hearing, arguing that marijuana no longer meets the Schedule I criteria of having no accepted medical use or safety under medical supervision.
- The government contends that widespread medical marijuana use demonstrates accepted safety and medical use, supporting reclassification to Schedule III, which acknowledges accepted medical uses while remaining federally controlled.
- The hearing, held from June 29 to July 15, included testimonies from various parties, and a recommendation from Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius is pending, with the final decision resting with the DEA administrator.
More than 30,000 health care practitioners are treating over six million medical marijuana patients across 43 U.S. jurisdictions, figures the federal government says demonstrate that marijuana no longer meets the requirements for Schedule I.
The numbers were highlighted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) during the recently concluded federal marijuana rescheduling hearing and are included in newly released hearing transcripts.
“Currently there are over 30,000 practitioners treating more than six million patients in 43 U.S. jurisdiction. Such practices demonstrate that there is no longer a lack of accepted safety for use of marijuana under medical supervision, and as such, marijuana does not fulfill the requirements of being [Schedule I]”, said the DEA.
The figures provide a broad look at the scale of medical marijuana use in the United States, where state-authorized programs now involve millions of patients receiving recommendations or treatment under the supervision of tens of thousands of medical professionals.
They also played a role in the federal government’s conclusion that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use in the United States.
Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), Schedule I is reserved for substances considered to have no currently accepted medical use and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision.
During the hearing, the government argued that the widespread participation of practitioners and patients in state medical marijuana programs is evidence that marijuana no longer satisfies that standard.
The government has instead argued that marijuana meets the criteria for Schedule III, which includes substances considered to have accepted medical uses while remaining federally controlled.
The hearing began June 29 and concluded July 15 following 11 days of testimony involving federal witnesses and other parties supporting and opposing the proposed scheduling change. DEA has since released the official transcripts from the proceeding.
Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius is expected to issue a recommendation on whether marijuana should be moved to Schedule III. The final scheduling decision rests with the DEA administrator.