健康英语新闻:U.S. gov't disapproves marijuana's medical use

BEIJING, July 11 (Xinhuanet) -- U.S. federal government officially announced that it denied the medical use of marijuana.

"Department of Health and Human Services concluded that marijuana has a high potential for abuse, has no accepted medical use in the United States, and lacks an acceptable level of safety for use even under medical supervision," U.S. Department of Justice declared Friday.

The announcement will keep marijuana in the classification of dangerous, addictive drug as heroin.

The decision comes almost nine years after medical marijuana advocates asked the government to reclassify marijuana, as its therapeutic effectiveness in treating some diseases and relieving pain of patients.

Joe Elford, the chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), said he was not surprised by the government's disapproval.

"It is clearly motivated by a political decision that is anti-marijuana," He noted.

This is the third petition to reclassify marijuana has failed to be approved. The former two were filed in 1972 and in 1995, respectively.