The decision means the Obama administration is now backing the same policy approved in 1970, when Congress and President Richard Nixon teamed up to pass the Controlled Substances Act, signaling the start of the nation’s war on drugs.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws said the DEA had chosen to reaffirm a “flat-earth position,” while the National Cannabis Industry Association said the ruling “flies in the face of objective science and overwhelming public opinion.”

Read more: http://www.bendbulletin.com/nation/4573571-151/obama-once-pot-smokers-hero-will-leave-office