United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative
| United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative | |
|---|---|
| Argued March 28, 2001 Decided May 14, 2001 | |
| Full case name | United States of America v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative |
| Citations | 532 U.S. 483 (more) 121 S. Ct. 1711; 149 L. Ed. 2d 722; 2001 U.S. LEXIS 3518 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | United States v. Cannabis Cultivators Club, 5 F. Supp. 2d 1086 (N.D. Cal. 1998); reversed sub. nom., United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, 190 F.3d 1109 (9th Cir. 1999); cert. granted, 531 U.S. 1010 (2000). |
| Holding | |
| There is no medical necessity defense to a charge under the Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. § 841 et seq. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Thomas, joined by Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy |
| Concurrence | Stevens (in judgment), joined by Souter, Ginsburg |
| Breyer took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. | |
| Laws applied | |
| 21 U.S.C. § 841 et seq. | |
In United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative, 532 U.S. 483 (2001), the United States Supreme Court rejected the common-law medical necessity defense to crimes enacted under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970, regardless of their legal status under the laws of states such as California that recognize a medical use for marijuana. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative was represented by Gerald Uelmen.