The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. The Controlled Substances Act falls under this, and is responsible for regulating the manufacture and distribution of drugs including narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and chemicals used in the illicit production of controlled substances.

June 8, 2016. With the expectation for full operation by September 25th, 2018. The Policy was the Medical Marijuana Control Program.

33 percent decrease in states where medical marijuana was legalized. Similarly, some researchers for a 14 percent reduction in opioid prescriptions in states that allow easy access to medical marijuana. (JAMA Internal Medicine). This suggests that Medical Marijuana legalization could decrease the use of emergency medical services.

Gonzales v. Raich (2005), The federal government has the constitutional authority to prohibit marijuana for all purposes. Federal law enforcement officials may prosecute medical marijuana patients even if they reside in a state where medical marijuana use is protected under state law. Furthermore, the Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a guidance memo in 2013 to prosecutors concerning marijuana enforcement under the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) making it clear that prosecuting state-legal medical marijuana cases is not a priority.

Substances are sorted into five schedules. Schedule one contains drugs that are considered the most harmful with no medical benefits. The schedule of a drug is determined by three factors: potential for abuse, accepted medical use, and safety and potential for adduction.

The legislation passed by the Ohio General Assembly and then a week later Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 523 into law.

The nationwide legalization-and-tax regime could see states raise billions of dollars per year in marijuana tax revenue. A universal legalization policy has the potential to create over 700,000 jobs (Washington Post). Medical Marijuana has the potential to boost the economy and potentially reduce the number of people dependent on programs like TANF.

Currently, there are no regulations protecting medical marijuana users in Ohio. Medical Marijuana users are not covered under the Fair Employment Act. And, termination decisions fall to the employer. Employees fired for medical marijuana use are not eligible for unemployment compensation, especially if the business follows a zero-tolerance policy.

What is Schedule One. This schedule is for the most harmful substances with no medical benefits. Other drugs classified as schedule one are ecstasy, LSD, and heroin.

Covers seriously ill patients with a variety of chronic and life-threatening diseases that have a doctor recommendation. And, legalizes the following forms: edibles, oils, patches, plant material, tinctures, and vaporizers

Neither Medicare or Medicaid cover the cost of medical marijuana. Marijuana is a schedule one controlled substance according to the CSA. Given federal restrictions, neither social insurance or health care programs can cover medicinal marijuana costs. The doctors accepting these insurances are also unable to prescribe medical marijuana. However, the first amendment covers Doctor rights to recommend this drug. Lack of coverage for alternative medicine may ultimately lead to stronger dependence on the welfare system as folks cannot get proper treatment, which causes employment and additional health issues.

This is up for debate but many state laws require the same protocols for marijuana distribution that the CSA uses when deciding to prosecute drug offenses. For example, both State and Federal laws emphasize preventing marijuana possession or use on federal property, preventing violence or the use of firearms in cultivation and distribution of marijuana, and preventing adverse public health consequences associated with marijuana use.