The Shafer Commission, formally the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, was a pivotal body formed in 1970 under the directive of President Richard Nixon. Chaired by Raymond P. Shafer, the commission was charged with the task of examining the societal and legal ramifications of marijuana use. In its 1972 report, “Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding,” the Shafer Commission made the bold recommendation to decriminalize marijuana for personal use, a suggestion that was ahead of its time and largely dismissed by the Nixon administration. Despite its initial rejection, the findings of the Shafer Commission have gained renewed attention in recent years as the cannabis industry undergoes significant transformation. The commission’s work is often cited in discussions about drug policy reform, highlighting the importance of evidence-based approaches in shaping modern cannabis legislation. As the conversation around cannabis continues to evolve, the Shafer Commission’s legacy serves as a reminder of the need for informed and balanced policy-making. [Source: Harvard]
The Shafer Commission, formally known as the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, was appointed by U.S. President Richard Nixon in the early 1970s. Its chairman was former Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. Shafer. The commission issued a report on its findings in 1972 that called for the decriminalization of marijuana possession in the United States. The report was ignored by the White House, but is an important document against prohibition.
 Cover page of the Shafer Report | |
| Type | Commission |
|---|---|
Chair | Raymond P. Shafer |
While the Controlled Substances Act was being drafted in a House committee in 1970, Assistant Secretary of Health Roger O. Egeberg had recommended that marijuana temporarily be placed in Schedule I, the most restrictive category of drugs, pending the Commission's report. On March 22, 1972, the Commission's chairman, Raymond P. Shafer, presented a report to Congress and the public entitled "Marihuana: a Signal of Misunderstanding," which favored ending marijuana prohibition and adopting other methods to discourage use. The report was republished as a Signet Books New American Library paperback in 1972.
The Commission's report said that while public sentiment tended to view marijuana users as dangerous, they actually found users to be more timid, drowsy and passive. It concluded that cannabis did not cause widespread danger to society. It recommended using social measures other than criminalization to discourage use. It compared the situation of cannabis to that of alcohol.
The Commission's proposed decriminalization of marijuana possession was opposed, in 1974, by the recommendations of a congressional subcommittee chaired by Senator James Eastland.
The Nixon administration did not implement the recommendations from the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse. However, the report has frequently been cited by individuals supporting removal of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.
