Section 1) Actual or Real Potential for Abuse

The assertion that any use of a presently illegal drug constitutes drug abuse is far too broad, lacks scientific validity, and does not allow for a distinction between truly dangerous and non-dangerous drugs.

The accepted contemporary legal convention for evaluating the abuse potential of a drug or substance is the relative degree of self-administration the drug induces in animal subjects.

Marijuana does not induce self-administration in animal subjects. Therefore, the dependence liability of marijuana is, at least, significantly lower than well-known drugs of abuse which do induce self-administration in animals, such as heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines.

References Cited in Section 1.

Abood, M.E., Martin, B.R., "Neurobiology of Marijuana Abuse," Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 13:201-206, 1992.

Berkow, P., (Editor-in-Chief), The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, Fifteenth Edition. (Rahway, NJ: Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories,) 1987.

Brady, J.V. and Lucas, S.D. (eds)., Testing Drugs for Physical Dependence and Abuse Liability. National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Monograph #52, 1984. "Animal Testing Procedures" Reprinted in Cicero, T. (1992) Assessment of Dependence Liability of Psychotropic Substances: Nature of the Problem and the Role of the College on Problems on Drug Dependence. Contractor Document for the Office of Technology Assessment. (Springfield, VA: National Technical Information Service,) 1992. (NTIS Doc. #PB94-175643)

Brady, J.V., "The Reinforcing Functions of Drugs and Assessment of Abuse Liability." In: Problems of Drug Dependence, 1987. Proceedings of the 49th Annual Scientific Meeting, The Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc. Harris, L. (ed), National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Monograph 81. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.,) 1988. pp. 440 - 456.

Brady, J.V., "What's a Radical Behaviorist Like You Doing in a nice Pharmacology Club like CPDD?" In: Problems of Drug Dependence, 1992. Proceedings of the 54th Annual Scientific Meeting, The Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc. Harris, L. (ed), National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Monograph 132. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.,) 1993. pg 19 -28.

Cicero, T., Assessment of Dependence Liability of Psychotropic Substances: Nature of the Problem and the Role of the College on Problems on Drug Dependence. Contractor Document for the Office of Technology Assessment. (Springfield, VA: National Technical Information Service,) 1992. (NTIS Doc. #PB94-175643)

Herkenham, M. "Cannabinoid Receptor Localization in Brain: Relationship to Motor and Reward Systems," In P.W. Kalivas and H.H. Samson (eds), The Neurobiology of Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Annals of the American Academy of Sciences. 654:19-32, 1992.

Iwamoto, E. & Martin, W. "A Critique of Drug Self-Administration as a Method for Predicting Abuse Potential of Drugs." In: Problems of Drug Dependence, 1987. Proceedings of the 49th Annual Scientific Meeting, The Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc. Harris, L. (ed), National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Monograph 81. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.,) 1988. pg. 457-465.

Johanson, C., "Assessing the Reinforcing Properties of Drugs." In: Problems of Drug Dependence, 1989. Proceedings of the 49th Annual Scientific Meeting, The Committee on Problems of Drug Dependence, Inc. Harris, L. (ed), National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Monograph 95. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.,) 1990 pg. 135 - 145.

U.S. Code Congressional and Administrative News. 91st Congress -- Second Session, 1970. Vol. 3. Legislative History. Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 [P.L. 91-513]. pg. 4566 - 4657.

U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment (1993) Biological Components of Substance Abuse and Addiction, OTA-BP-BBS-117 (Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office,) September 1993.