Pediatricians Want DEA to Reclassify Marijuana

The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency reclassify marijuana so that more research can be conducted in the hopes of finding benefits for children. The medical society says marijuana should be made available on a compassionate-use basis for children with debilitating or life-threatening illnesses.

Specifically, the AAP wants marijuana removed from the DEA’s Schedule 1 listing for controlled substances, which aren't considered to have any “currently accepted medical use in the U.S., a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision and a high potential for abuse.” Other drugs in this category include heroin, acid and ecstasy.

Instead, the medical society wants marijuana downgraded to the list of Schedule 2 drugs, which are considered to have a “high potential for abuse which may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.”

Epilepsy has been high on the list of potentially beneficial uses. Last year, the Epilepsy Foundation called on the DEA to reschedule marijuana to improve and bolster research, reflecting a growing belief that medical uses can combat the affliction. Since marijuana be- came legal in some states, there have been reports that cannabis compounds may reduce the frequency or severity of seizures.

To what extent the Obama administration will consider making such a change remains unclear. Twenty-three states have legalized medical marijuana for those who receive recommendations for use by physicians. There is no accepted medical use on a federal level.

An FDA spokeswoman says the agency “can’t comment on the suggestion to change the schedule for marijuana,” but it agrees with the call for rigorous scientific research into the uses of marijuana.