N.J. must recognize marijuana's medicinal value, court says

Marijuana is commonly known to be a Schedule 1 drug next to LSD and Heroin, though most people familiar would say it has no business on that list. It has proven to be very difficult to get cannabis rescheduled, however the first step towards it might have finally arrived as a New Jersey state appeals court said Governor Christie's administration must revisit cannabis' legal standing now that it's medical and health benefits are much more understood than back in the 70's when they were deemed so dangerous. The federal government has held onto the federal status of cannabis despite over half of U.S. states having functioning medical marijuana programs, including New Jersey's which has been around for 8 years. The overwhelming support and existence of medical marijuana has finally become enough for the appeals court to rule that state officials must revisit the scheduling of cannabis, and while that doesn't necessarily mean it will be rescheduled, officials will no longer be able to say it has no medical value.

State officials could still decide to keep marijuana on the most-restricted list for other reasons, but they can no longer claim the drug has no medicinal value, said Attorney Joseph Linares of Newark, who brought the case on behalf of a prison inmate Steven Kadonsky.

"What this decision does recognize is the widespread acceptance of marijuana use in medical treatment," Linares said.

"Medical benefits from the use of marijuana not known in 1971, when the CDSA became effective...and impediments to its lawful use as a result of its Schedule 1 classification, are abundant and glaringly apparent now," the opinion said.