Gonzales V. Raich

Pace University Michael Khoo LAW 101
Gonzales v. Raich(545 U.S. 1 (U.S. Sup. Ct. 2005)) I. FACTS

Angel Raich and Diane Monson (plaintiffs) suffered from serious medical conditions and the only effective treatment was the use of Marijuana which was recommended by the doctors. In 1996, a California statue, under the name of The Compassionate Use Act, was established to legally allow marijuana to be used only for medicinal purposes. Monson cultivated her own Marijuana for her own usage as she relied on it heavily for daily functions. The Drug Enforcement Administration (defendant) came to Monson’s house, discovered the cannabis plants and destroyed all six of them. Raich and Monson sued the DEA to obtain an injunction that would inhibit the enforcement of the federal Control Substance Act (CSA) on Monson. The CSA classifies marijuana as a controlled substance. Raich and Monson claimed that enforcing the CSA would violate the Commerce Clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

II. JUDGEMENT
Angel Raich and Diane Monson (plaintiffs) won the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration (defendant) lost the case. III. LEGAL PRINCIPAL

A. ISSUE
Whether Congress’ power to regulate interstate markets for medical substances encompasses the portions of those markets that are supplied with drugs produced and consumed locally. B. HOLDING
No.
IV. REASONING

A. GENERAL ANALYSIS
In this Constitutional Case, the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) gives Congress and the Federal government the right to confiscate and/ or destroy any discovered controlled substances. Marijuana is considered a schedule 1 controlled substance due to hazards, high potential for abuse and lack of medicinal benefits. The Compassionate Use Act was created in 1996 in California as a statue that legally allows Marijuana to be used only for medicinal and medical purposes. The argument used against the DEA for enforcing the CSA on the plaintiffs is that it would be a violation of the Commerce Clause which is a major component of the Fifth Amendment. The Commerce Clause establishes that the congress has the authority to oversee, regulate and intervene in interstate commercial activity. B. APPLIED ANALYSIS
The Controlled Substance Act’s jurisdiction was used by the DEA to destroy Marijuana in Monson’s house because of the simple fact that Marijuana is categorized as a Schedule 1 controlled substance. However the plaintiffs argue that such action would take away the power of the Commerce Clause of the Fifth Amendment which states that the federal government body has the authority to overlook and regulate interstate activity. Nowhere in that clause does it give the federal body the power to regulate intrastate activity which is the case of the cultivation of marijuana in Monson’s house. In addition to that, the Compassionate Use Act supports the cultivation of marijuana in Monson’s house because Monson is a patient who was severely ill and whose life was dependent on the usage of Marijuana for recovery. According to the circumstances of this case in which the possession of marijuana was due to health, medical and medicinal reason, and for abuse purposes, the Supreme Court has overruled the DEA to execute the CSA on Monson.