Did Pharmacy Board’s Cannabis Rescheduling Follow Science?
Last week, the Oregon Board of Pharmacy voted to downgrade marijuana’s drug classification from Schedule I to a Schedule II drug, acknowledging that the plant does in fact have medicinal value. Members of the Pharmacy Board who voted for Schedule II have not explained why they chose the more restrictive classification. According to state law, cannabis is now in the same category as morphine, amphetamines, hydrocodone and opium, among others. Schedule I drugs are recognized by the government as having no medicinal value and a high probability of abuse. Under federal law, marijuana remains in Schedule I despite numerous court challenges, studies indicating vast therapeutic uses, state medical marijuana laws and even a ruling by a Drug Enforcement Administration federal law judge that recommended its reclassification. The Board of Pharmacy was forced to change the state classification of marijuana to abide by a state law passed in the 2009 session. ORS 475.059 directed the board to change
