When the CSA was drafted, marijuana was put in Schedule 1 provisionally, pending the findings of the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse:
"Some question has been raised whether the use of the plant itself produces "severe psychological or physical dependence" as required by a schedule I or even schedule II criterion. Since there is still a considerable void in our knowledge of the plant and effects of the active drug contained in it, our recommendation is that marijuana be retained within schedule I at least until the completion of certain studies now underway to resolve the issue."- Roger Egeberg, Asst. Secretary of Health
When the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse (Shafer Commission) recommended decriminalization, the Nixon administration said "meh," and did nothing about it. A congressional committee headed by Sen. James Eastland, whom Nixon considered an ally, recommended keeping it in Schedule 1. Sen. Eastland sounds like a guy you might admire.
As I said— a poorer definition of CNC dependency. CNS— central nervous system. At that time, poorly understood blood brain barrier and receptor mediated effects specific to CNS tissue receptors.
Don’t know a thing about Eastland... but in those times the underground industry of marijuana (dealers, producers, importers) were financing rather serious threats to natsec surrounding Vietnam (whether one agrees with WHAT they were protesting against— the source manipulators were provably, communists- long enemies of Nixon, coupled with the elitist snots of Foggy Bottom who never forgave Nixon for pursuing and getting Alger Hiss. The Venona transcripts proving much later, as well as Harry Dexter White), and co-opting with good ole Walter Cronkite the again media driven lies that the US was somehow losing in Vietnam (example: Tet Offensive was obliterated, but not to our media. It is what brought them to negotiating table, and the intelligence community turned it into defeat).
So, if you want to argue about the poorer science (more properly the limitations of clinical knowledge/pharmacology of the day)— fine, but that is NOT the case today, despite yet again political based howling. Seems that certain elements of our political (dare one call it ruling) class decided to err on the side of caution and many years of prior law enforcement experience. Elvis’s offer to help being of little value as a “music industry narc”(LOL).
thank you and good day.