Reading Room Document
Petition to decontrol marihuana; Interpretation of Section 201 of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970
In this memo, the OLC answered a question from the Director of the Bureau of Narcotis and Dangerous Drugs as to whether a petition to decontrol or lessen control of marihuana must be accepted by the Attorney General without regard to the controls required by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, to which the United States is a party. The OLC concluded that the Attorney General may reject the petition to decontrol marihuana without following the referral provisions of section 201, due to Congress's affirmative desire to ensure that the laws of the United States comply with international obligations.
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