From: hempster@crl.com (Alan Silverman)
Newsgroups: alt.hemp,talk.politics.drugs,ca.politics
Subject: History of Medical Marijuana
Date: 22 Mar 95 06:01:59 GMT

• 2727 BC
  First recorded use of cannabis as medicine in Chinese pharmacopoeia. In every part of the world humankind has used cannabis for a wide variety of health problems.
  
  
• 1937
  Cannabis withdrawn from the American public against the advice of the medical community. Hemp excluded from "Class II" drugs (having demonstrated medical value) by Nixon administration in 1970. Dispite all evidence to the contrary, hemp was retained as Class I by the Bush administration in 1989.
  
  
• 1972
  The Nixon-appointed Shafer Commission urged use of cannabis be re-legalized, which was not done. Still, medical research continued, often with remarkable results.
  
  
• 1975
  FDA establishes Compassionate Use Program for medical marijuana.
  
  
• 1988
  DEA administrative law Judge Francis Young found after thorough hearings that marijuana had clearly established medical use and should be reclassified as a prescriptive drug.
  
  
• 1990
  The California Drug Advisory Board recommends legal cultivation of marijuana.
  
  
• 1991
  80% of San Francisco voters vote to legalize medicinal use of marijuana.
  
  
• 1992
  Feb.- Department of Health & Human Services callously cancels the medical marijuana program.
  Aug.- Marin County Board of Supervisors votes to restore marijuana as medicine.
  Nov.- Santa Cruz County votes 77% to legalize marijuana by subscription.
  
  
• 1993
  April- Senators Mello and Marks sponsor SJR8: Medical Marijuana Resolution seeking Schedule II.
  June- Moro Bay Board of Supervisors votes to restore marijuana as medicine.
  July- San Luis Obispo City Council votes to restore and study marijuana as medicine.
  Aug.- Both Houses of State Legislature pass SJR8; Assembly: 47-20; Senate: 23-9 in a bi-partisan vote sent to President Clinton.
  
  
• 1994
  Aug.- SB 1364-The Marijuana rescheduling bill passes both houses of California State Legislature in a bi-partisan vote. This would allow doctors to prescribe.
  Sep.- Governor Wilson vetoes SB 1364, forcing the coalition to take its message to the people of California to seek justice for their sick and ill.
  
  
• 1996 (added by editor -p)
  Nov - San Fransisco voters vote to legalize medical marijuana for those suggested by a doctor to use. This comes a couple of months after a bust of the San Fransisco's Buyers' Club by state authorities (ie Dan Lundgren and his brute squad).
  

"Join us in our quest for a more just and compassionate society."
-Dennis Peron, Citizens for Compassionate Use

"It's criminal to keep this medicine from patients"
-Joycelyn Elders, former Surgeon General

"This medicine works"
-Dean Adell, M.D., ABC-TV Medical Advisor

--------------
Alan Silverman
P.O. Box 14627
Santa Rosa, CA 95472
hempster@crl.com