In a recent Virginia town hall meeting, Vermont senator and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders became the first candidate on the national stage to openly support removing marijuana from the federal government’s list of dangerous drugs. Amber Phillips of the Washington Post suggests that we may eventually come to see Sanders’ October 28, 2015 speech as a watershed in our nation’s history. Read the full story here.
Only time will tell if Phillips’ forecast is correct, but it’s important not to confuse growing public acceptance (58% of Americans, according to a recent Gallup poll) with formal legal status. The writing may be on the wall regarding marijuana decriminalization in America, but it is most certainly not on the books.
The state of Indiana (as well as the federal government) continues to classify marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance, meaning it supposedly has a high risk for potential abuse and no accepted medical use. Schedule I drugs are—legally speaking—the worst of the worst. Other substances in this category include heroin, ecstasy, and LSD. Marijuana is officially regarded as more dangerous than cocaine, methamphetamine, and oxycodone, all of which are considered Schedule II narcotics.
To be clear, Senator Sanders isn’t advocating anything as radical as legalization on a national level, but rather the exclusion of marijuana from the federal list. This would free up states to experiment with marijuana policies, without fear of interference from the Drug Enforcement Agency. Thus, even if Sanders were to get his way, it would be entirely possible for Hoosiers to carry on insisting that marijuana is a dangerous drug, deserving of its Schedule I status alongside heroin. Public perception is important, but it isn’t equivalent to the law of the land, and the wheels of justice turn slowly. Regardless of your feelings about marijuana’s effects on the body, it is dangerous, if only because its possession can land you in jail. Colorado may represent a brave new world, but we still live in Indiana.
If you or a loved one are facing a situation you never thought you would be in and need some legal guidance, please call the attorneys at the Marc Lopez Law Firm at 317-632-3642. Or reach out to us by email.
