, cannabis sativa, which is better known as marijuana, is illegal for medicinal purposes because federal law includes it in Schedule I, a category for drugs deemed unsafe, highly subject to abuse, and possessing no medicinal value. After many scientific researches and people investigating the evidence, this has been proven to be quite inaccurate. First of all, Francis L. Young, the Drug Enforcement Administration's chief administrative law judge, concluded not only that marijuana's medical utility had been adequately demonstrated, but also that marijuana had been shown to be "one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man" ("Medical Marijuana Briefing-). He also ruled that marijuana has legitimate medical applications and should be available to doctors. Lyn Nofziger, former deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee, said, "Marijuana clearly has medicinal value. Thousands of seriously ill Americans have been able to determine that for themselves, although illegally. Like my own family, these individuals did not wish to break the law but they had no other choice" (Marijuana Rx). Only eight people today receive marijuana through a federal "compassionate use" program which stopped admitting new patients in 1992 after the number of applications, mostly from AIDS patients, increased dramatically. Judge Young also ruled that, " the provisions of the Controlled Substances Act permit and require the transfer of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II" ("Medical Marijuana Briefing-). As a Schedule II drug, marijuana would be allowed to physicians to prescribe it under highly regulated conditions. .
Some people, however, believe that legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes will send children the wrong message. Also, many organizations have formed to eliminate drug use across the country. They believe that marijuana should not be legal in any way and under any circumstances.