Currently the classification for Marijuana/Cannabis is as a Class 1 narcotic with no medical benefit and/or a high risk index for abuse.
Since our most prestigious medical associations (AMA, APA, etc) have all acknowledged the medical nature of this herb and the latest surveys have indicated crime goes down where Medical Cannabis is distributed, both descriptions of Marijuana/Cannabis are inappropriate.
UCSD's Marijuana Research Institute started in 1999 and completed recently. What that study found was that Medical Marijuana is effective in treating MS and further reduces chronic pain, especially in those patients with neuropathy. This is not new for the rest of the world, this has been documented in Britain, France, Germany, India and many other Countries.