Gonzales v. Raich

Gonzales v. Raich
Argued November 29, 2004
Decided June 6, 2005
Full case nameAlberto Gonzales, Attorney General, et al. v. Angel McClary Raich, et al.
Citations545 U.S. 1 (more)
125 S. Ct. 2195; 162 L. Ed. 2d 1; 2005 U.S. LEXIS 4656; 73 U.S.L.W. 4407; 18 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 327
ArgumentOral argument
Opinion announcementOpinion announcement
Case history
PriorRaich v. Ashcroft, 248 F. Supp. 2d 918 (N.D. Cal.), rev'd, 352 F.3d 1222 (9th Cir. 2003), cert. granted, 542 U.S. 936 (2004)
SubsequentNone
Holding
Congress may ban the use of cannabis even if states approve it for medicinal purposes.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
MajorityStevens, joined by Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer
ConcurrenceScalia (in judgment)
DissentO'Connor, joined by Rehnquist, Thomas (all but Part III)
DissentThomas
Laws applied
U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 3, 18 (the Commerce and Necessary and Proper Clauses); Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. §§ 801–971 (2000); California Compassionate Use Act of 1996, California Health & Safety Code § 11362.5 (West Supp. 2005)

Gonzales v. Raich (previously Ashcroft v. Raich), 545 U.S. 1 (2005), was a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that, under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, Congress may criminalize the production and use of homegrown cannabis even if state law allows its use for medicinal purposes.[1]

  1. ^ Gonzales v. Raich, 545 U.S. 1 (2005). Public domain This article incorporates public domain material from this U.S government document.