Expand All Collapse All Extent 91 folders, approximately 5,979 pages Summary This collection contains records relating to cannabis, primarily regarding the legitimacy of marijuana as a medical treatment. The records include correspondence from medical marijuana advocates, drafts of responses to public correspondence, newspaper clippings, drug use statistics, drafts of the December 30, 1996, federal response to state-level legalization of medical cannabis, and records relating to Conant v McCaffrey. The collection also contains records regarding the Clinton Administration’s efforts to address international drug production and trafficking, including cannabis. These include Congressional correspondence and lists of major drug producing and drug trafficking countries. Scope and Content Note The materials in FOIA 2022-0069-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related material. Since the enactment of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970, there have been many efforts to legalize the use of cannabis in the treatment of chronic pain, glaucoma, arthritis, migraines, epilepsy, as well as the pain, nausea, and lack of appetite associated with chemotherapy and AIDS. Advocates for the legalization of medical cannabis began gaining ground in the early 1990s, particularly in the state of California. A combination of local and state propositions led to California reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule II drug at the state level and calling upon the federal government to pass legislation allowing the medical prescription of cannabis. In 1996, California passed Proposition 215 - the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, which allowed the medical cultivation, possession, and use of cannabis by patients with a physician’s recommendation. In that same year, Arizona passed Proposition 200, which allowed physicians to prescribe cannabis to their patients. Arizona’s medical use provision was largely ineffective, however, due to the language used in the proposition being in direct conflict with the language of the Controlled Substances Act. The Clinton Administration, primarily through the work of the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Barry McCaffrey, remained firmly opposed to the medical use of cannabis, and in December of 1996 released a comprehensive federal response to state-level cannabis legalization. This response included the intent to revoke the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authorization to prescribe from physicians who prescribed or recommended medical cannabis, and to exclude them from Medicare and Medicaid programs. A group of licensed physicians from California claimed that these threats infringed upon their First Amendment rights. They prevailed in September 2000 as the case Conant v McCaffrey affirmed their right to recommend (though not prescribe) cannabis to their patients. This collection contains records relating to discussions of the legitimacy of marijuana as a medical treatment, correspondence from medical marijuana advocates, drafts of responses to public correspondence, newspaper clippings, drug use statistics, drafts of the December 30, 1996, federal response to state-level legalization of medical cannabis, and records relating to Conant v McCaffrey. The collection also contains records regarding the Clinton Administration’s efforts to address international drug production and trafficking, including cannabis. These include Congressional correspondence and lists of major drug producing and drug trafficking countries. Record Type Textual System of Arrangement Records that are responsive to this FOIA request were found in these collection areas—Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM Alpha Files, Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM Subject Files, Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files, and Clinton Presidential Emails: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System. The White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) contains a variety of series created to organize and track documents and correspondence. The WHORM Alpha file was compiled by the White House Office of Records Management from 1993 – 1996 and is a series of documents arranged by name of persons, organizations, or events. The WHORM Subject file was compiled by the White House Office of Records Management and is a series of categories designated by a letter/number combination. In addition, there are WHORM, WHORM Counsel, WHORM (CL), WHORM (OP), WHORM (Too Late); WHORM (Various Offices); and WHORM (Alpha Project) series. Staff and Office files were maintained at the folder level by staff members within their individual offices and document all levels of administration activity. Staff and Office files are processed at the folder level, that is, individual documents are not selected and removed from a folder for processing. While this method maintains folder integrity, it frequently results in the incidental processing of documents that are not wholly responsive to the subject area. FOIA 2022-0069-F includes WHORM records from these subject codes: FG006-01 White House Office FG006-17 Office of National Drug Control Policy FG017 Department of Justice FG017-01 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) HE Health HE001 Disease - Disabilities HE001-06 Physically Handicapped HE006-01 Narcotics JL001 Amnesty - Clemency - Pardons PU001-07 Clippings viewed by the President. Access Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 22, as amended) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions. Copyright Documents in this collection that were prepared by officials of the United States government as part of their official duties are in the public domain. Researchers are advised to consult the copyright law of the United States (17 U.S.C. Chapter 1) which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Provenance Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA). Processed by Staff Archivist, 2023. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released. Last Modified Date 2023-07-10 Container List The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2022-0069-F: Box 1 Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM: Alpha Files [Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics] Clinton Presidential Records: WHORM: Subject File Category Case Number FG006-01 044500 FG006-17 202294 FG006-17 221791 FG017 257319 FG017 257326 FG017 258088 FG017 263054 FG017-01 068817 HE 262020 HE 266364 HE001 205039 HE001-06 201353 HE006-01 008906CU HE006-01 019468 HE006-01 048232 HE006-01 048234 HE006-01 058333 HE006-01 073783 HE006-01 086323 HE006-01 210001SS HE006-01 211084 HE006-01 243246 HE006-01 258526 HE006-01 261173 JL001 275744 PU001-07 133486SS PU001-07 205404SS Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files Cabinet Affairs McGuire, Anne Marijuana [OA/ID 13172] Chief of Staff Podesta, John Folder #4: [Marijuana and Medicine] [OA/ID 13947] Communications General Files Medical Marijuana, Request for Background: 970509 [OA/ID 11831] Subject Files ONDCP [Office of National Drug Control Policy] Media Coverage 96-97 [1996-1997] Magazines (20) [OA/ID 14292] Walker, Ann Weld Medical Marijuana, Gay and Lesbian Folder [OA/ID 10446] Box 2 Correspondence Roddick, Trudy Presidential Correspondence Mail Analysis, Book Sixteen=P-328 - P-338 [binder] [1] [OA/ID 19953] Presidential Correspondence Mail Analysis, Book Sixteen=P-328 - P-338 [binder] [2] [OA/ID 19953] Presidential Correspondence Mail Analysis, Book Sixteen=P-328 - P-338 [binder] [3] [OA/ID 19953] Counsel’s Office Band, Doug Marijuana Referendums [OA/ID 9548] Cerda, Clarissa Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics [OA/ID 5375] General Files Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 20842] Klem, Lisa Smoking and Marijuana [OA/ID 40666] Marshall, Bill US v. Oakland Cannabis “Medical Marijuana” [OA/ID 18909] Nolan, Beth Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 23485] Oetken, Paul Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 40188] Medical Marijuana Case [1] [OA/ID 21442] Box 3 Medical Marijuana Case [2] [OA/ID 21442] Medical Marijuana Case [3] [OA/ID 21442] Medical Marijuana Case [4] [OA/ID 21442] Medical Marijuana Case [5] [OA/ID 21442] Medical Marijuana Case [6] [OA/ID 21442] Peterson, Shelli [Folder 1]: Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 16438] Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 16439] Box 4 Popp, Karen Medical Marijuana – Ballots and leg [legislation] [OA/ID 12926] Wallman, Kathleen Marijuana [OA/ID CF 849] Counsel’s Office Wilson, Sarah Fisher - Cases: Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 14710] Domestic Policy Council Smith, Mary Arizona/California Medical Marijuana [1] [OA/ID 16945] Arizona/California Medical Marijuana [2] [OA/ID 16945] Arizona/California Medical Marijuana [3] [OA/ID 16945] Arizona/California Medical Marijuana: Background [OA/ID 16945] Robinson, Christa Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 16958] Box 5 Gould, Eric [Institute of Medicine, Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base] [book] [OA/ID 20347] National AIDS Policy Office Issues: Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 19400] Marijuana Issues - 1997 [1] [OA/ID 19422] Marijuana Issues - 1997 [2] [OA/ID 19422] Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 19423] Medical Marijuana - 1994 [OA/ID 19433] Oval Office Operations Currie, Betty Folder #1 [Betty Currie’s Miscellaneous Files Sent to ORM June 1998] [OA/ID 12032] Folder #1 [Betty Currie’s Miscellaneous Files Sent to ORM September-October 1998] [1] [OA/ID 12796] Box 6 Folder #1 [Betty Currie’s Miscellaneous Files Sent to ORM September-October 1998] [2] [OA/ID 12796] President Has Seen Folder (2) 191342SS [1] [OA/ID 7760] Folder (2) 191342SS [1] DUPS 2 Speeches [printed copies] [OA/ID 7760] Folder (2) 191342SS [2] [OA/ID 7760] Folder (2) 191342SS [3] [OA/ID 7760] Folder (2) 191342SS [4] [OA/ID 7760] Press Secretary Engebretsen, Jenni Medical Marijuana [OA/ID 21380] Box 7 Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System NSC Records Management [Drug…] 9307436 [OA/ID 164] 9310043 [OA/ID 179] 9600922 [OA/ID 1085] NSC Records Management [Drug…] 9602302 [OA/ID 1095] 9607493 [OA/ID 1129] 9701401 [1] [OA/ID 1605] 9701401 [2] [OA/ID 1605] 9701401 [3] [OA/ID 1605] 9701553 [OA/ID 1605] 9707599 [OA/ID 1652] 9801368 [OA/ID 2018] 9806164 [OA/ID 2057] 9901092 [OA/ID 2712] 9901288 [1] [OA/ID 2713] 9901288 [2] [OA/ID 2713] 9908212 [OA/ID 2759] 0001352 [OA/ID 4079]