Francis L. Young served as Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Drug Enforcement Administration during the late 1980s. His decisions were frequently at odds with DEA leadership. Young is most famous for his rulings on the regulation of marijuana and MDMA.
In July 1984, the DEA initiated proceedings under the Controlled Substances Act to place MDMA in Schedule I, the tightly-restricted category of drugs such as heroin that have no medical use. Nine days of hearings were held in three cities during 1985. At the hearings, thirty-three witnesses testified and ninety-five exhibits were received into evidence. Psychiatrists testified that the drug was an invaluable therapeutic adjunct that was safe when used under professional supervision. Witnesses for the DEA countered that the psychiatrists were basing their testimony on nothing but anecdotes—that no controlled scientific studies existed to support their claims[1]. On May 22, 1986, Young ruled that MDMA should be placed in Schedule III, allowing medical use. The DEA ignored his decision, placing MDMA into Schedule I.
In summer 1986, the DEA began hearings on the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws petition to reschedule marijuana to Schedule II. The hearings lasted two years, involving numerous witnesses and thousands of pages of documentation. On September 6, 1988, Young issued a 69-page ruling in favor of NORML, finding: "Based upon the facts established in this record and set out above one must reasonably conclude that there is accepted safety for use of marijuana under medical supervision. To conclude otherwise, on this record, would be unreasonable, arbitrary and capricious."
DEA Administrator John Lawn subsequently overruled Young's ruling. NORML filed suit, but the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the legality of Lawn's action. Although marijuana remains in Schedule I, Young's decision has been quoted countless times by activists seeking to legalize medical marijuana.
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