--- title: "Breaking the Stereotype: Medical Marijuana" description: Now that more than 70 percent of Americans have access to legal marijuana, the negative stereotype associated with the drug is diminishing. --- [![MansourGavinLPA](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/hs-fs/hubfs/MansourGavinLPA%20-Jan2018/Images/mg-logo.png?width=325&height=33&name=mg-logo.png "MansourGavinLPA")](http://mansourgavin.com/) - [ABOUT US](http://mansourgavin.com/about-us/) - [PROFESSIONALS](http://mansourgavin.com/professionals/) - [PRACTICE AREAS](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-areas/) - [BLOG](https://blog.mansourgavin.com) - [NEWS & EVENTS](http://mansourgavin.com/news-and-events/) - [CONTACT US](http://mansourgavin.com/contact-us/) - [ABOUT US](http://mansourgavin.com/about-us/) - [PROFESSIONALS](http://mansourgavin.com/professionals/) - [PRACTICE AREAS](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-areas/) - [BLOG](https://blog.mansourgavin.com) - [NEWS & EVENTS](http://mansourgavin.com/news-and-events/) - [CONTACT US](http://mansourgavin.com/contact-us/) # Blog # Breaking the Stereotype: Medical Marijuana [Civil Litigation](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/tag/civil-litigation) | [Corporate and Business](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/tag/corporate-and-business) September 26, 2017 | 09: 18 AM By [Brendon Friesen](http://mansourgavin.com/people/brendon-p-friesen/) ### The war on marijuana began in the 1960s and culminated in the Drug Abuse and Prevention Act of 1970 signed by Richard Nixon. Today the drug remains a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin, cocaine and LSD, pursuant to the federal Controlled Substances Act. Of course, the perception of the drug has changed over time.  California was the first state to adopt legislation decriminalizing and allowing the use of [medical marijuana](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-area/corporate-and-business-services/) use by the passage of the Compassionate Use Act of 1996. Even now, pursuant to the Rohrabacher–Farr Amendment, the U.S. Justice Department is not permitted to interfere with the state’s adoption of medical marijuana programs. While there were certainly other failed attempts at passing sweeping decriminalization federal legislation in the past, most recently by Sen. Bernie Sanders, on August 1, 2017, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D – NJ) introduced a Bill titled The Marijuana Justice Act of 2017 aimed at removing “marihuana” and “tetrahydrocannabinols” from the Control Substances Act. This would subsequently remove marijuana from the purview of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and allow states to set their own policies. Here is a [link](https://www.booker.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=638) to a summary of the Bill and its application. The fate of The Marijuana Justice Act is uncertain. However, now that more than 70 percent of Americans have access to legal marijuana, the negative stereotype associated with the drug is diminishing. In fact, it was recently reported that the U.S. retail marijuana market has grown to $6 billion. Some things to note: -While there are few studies to back the abundant anecdotal evidence, cannabis is a very effective medicine for several severe, chronic, and intractable diseases and conditions and patients like it because it does not have the side effects of traditional narcotics. -Institutions are developing programs to introduce the use of MMJ to treat opioid addicts. -Once against the use of MMJ, the Cleveland Clinic is now evaluating the vast possibilities of using the drug in tandem with traditional western medicine. -Dispensaries could become as prevalent as liquor stores and see the same craft brew craze experience with beer — think microbreweries for marijuana. -Celebrity branding is already happening with products by Willie Nelson and Bob Marley. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Related Articles #### [Simpkins presented oral argument before Ohio Supreme Court on behalf of putative class of OSU students](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/simpkins-presented-oral-argument-before-ohio-supreme-court-on-behalf-of-putative-class-of-osu-students) [Civil Litigation](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/tag/civil-litigation) March 26, 2024 | 10: 06 AM On March 6, 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a decision in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a putative class of students from The Ohio State University. The suit alleged breach of contract and unjust [\[… read more\]](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/simpkins-presented-oral-argument-before-ohio-supreme-court-on-behalf-of-putative-class-of-osu-students) #### [Federal District Court Ruling Declares Corporate Transparency Act Unconstitutional](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/recent-federal-district-court-ruling-declares-corporate-transparency-act-unconstitutional) [Corporate and Business](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/tag/corporate-and-business) March 26, 2024 | 07: 50 AM The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes enforcement network (FinCEN) proposed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) in 2021 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, aimed to combat money [\[… read more\]](https://blog.mansourgavin.com/recent-federal-district-court-ruling-declares-corporate-transparency-act-unconstitutional) ###### Practice Groups --- - [General Civil Litigation](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-area/general-civil-litigation/) - [Corporate and Business Services](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-area/corporate-and-business-services/) - [Real Estate and Land Use](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-area/real-estate-and-land-use/) - [Labor and Employment](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-area/labor-and-employment/) - [Estate Planning and Probate](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-area/estate-planning-and-probate/) - [Environmental](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-area/environmental/) - [Intellectual Property](http://mansourgavin.com/practice-area/intellectual-property/) ###### People --- - [Tyler M. Berry](https://mansourgavin.com/people/tyler-m-berry/) - [Timothy A. Boyko](https://mansourgavin.com/people/timothy-boyko/) - [Charles T. Brown](https://mansourgavin.com/people/charles-brown/) - [James A. Budzik](https://mansourgavin.com/people/james-a-budzik/) - [Diane A. Calta](https://mansourgavin.com/people/diane-a-calta/) - [Anthony J. Coyne](https://mansourgavin.com/people/anthony-j-coyne/) - [Brendon P. Friesen](https://mansourgavin.com/people/brendon-p-friesen/) - [Michele M. Kerling](https://mansourgavin.com/people/michele-kerling/) - [Daniel J. McGuire](https://mansourgavin.com/people/daniel-j-mcguire/) - [John W. Monroe](https://mansourgavin.com/people/john-monroe/) - [Marisa Moody](https://mansourgavin.com/people/marisa-moody/) - [Natalie M. Paolucci](https://mansourgavin.com/people/natalie-Paolucci/) - [Samantha Papagna](https://mansourgavin.com/people/samantha-papagna/) - [Edward O. Patton](https://mansourgavin.com/people/edward-o-patton/) - [Tatyana Pishnyak](https://mansourgavin.com/people/tatyana-pishnyak/) - [Michael P. Quinlan](https://mansourgavin.com/people/mickey-quinlan/) - [Patricia M. Ritzert](https://mansourgavin.com/people/patricia-m-ritzert/) - [Marci Senft](https://mansourgavin.com/people/marci-senft/) - [Scott D. Simpkins](https://mansourgavin.com/people/scott-d-simpkins/) - [Kenneth E. Smith](https://mansourgavin.com/people/kenneth-smith/) - [Kimberly Szabo](https://mansourgavin.com/people/kimberly-szabo/) - [Katie E. Tinnel](https://mansourgavin.com/people/katie-e-tinnel/) - [Adam R. Uth](https://mansourgavin.com/people/adam-r-uth/) - [Cristina Vacar](https://mansourgavin.com/people/cristina-vacar/) - [Kathryn E. Weber](https://mansourgavin.com/people/kathryn-e-weber/) - [Leslie M. Young](https://mansourgavin.com/people/leslie-m-young/) ###### About Us --- - [Our History](https://mansourgavin.com/about-us/#history) - [About Mansour Gavin](https://mansourgavin.com/about-us/#about) - [Careers](https://mansourgavin.com/careers/) - [Online Notary Service](https://mansourgavin.com/online-notary-service/) ###### Social --- - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/601692) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/MansourGavinLPA/) - [X](https://x.com/MansourGavinLPA) ###### Contact --- **Cleveland** North Point Tower 1001 Lakeside Ave. Suite 1400 Cleveland, OH 44114 Phone: [216.523.1500](tel:216.523.1500) Fax: [216.523.1705](tel:216.523.1705) [»  See Map](https://maps.google.com/?q=1001+Lakeside+Ave%2C+Suite+1400++Cleveland%2C+Ohio+44114) **Independence** 6133 Rockside Rd. Suite 301 Independence, OH 44131 Phone: [216.523.1500](tel:216.523.1500) Fax: [216.523.1705](tel:216.523.1705) [»  See Map](https://maps.google.com/?q=6300+Rockside+Road%2C+Independence%2C+OH%2C+United+States) © 2026 Mansour Gavin LPA. All rights reserved. - [Privacy](http://mansourgavin.com/privacy/) - [Terms of Use](http://mansourgavin.com/legal/) [![Legal Netlink Alliance Logo](https://mansourgavin.com/wp-content/themes/MansourGavin/images/lna-logo.jpg)](http://www.legalnetlink.net/) [![U.S. News & World Report](https://mansourgavin.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Best-Law-Firms-Standard-Badge.png)](https://bestlawfirms.usnews.com/profile/mansour-gavin-lpa/overview/52830) ![Firm Peer Rated](https://mansourgavin.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/badge-martindale-hubbell.png) [![Mansour Gavin LPA BBB Business Review](https://seal-cleveland.bbb.org/seals/blue-seal-200-42-whitetxt-bbb-20003639.png)](https://www.bbb.org/us/oh/cleveland/profile/lawyers/mansour-gavin-lpa-0312-20003639/#sealclick)