⚖️ Randall Litigation Timeline

1. Criminal Defense Phase – “United States v. Randall” (D.C. Superior Court, 1976)

Key Event: First successful medical necessity defense for marijuana possession in U.S. history.

• Date: 1976

• Jurisdiction: D.C. Superior Court

• Facts:

  • Robert C. Randall, a glaucoma patient, used homegrown cannabis to treat his condition after conventional medications failed.

  • Arrested for marijuana cultivation/possession.

  • Defense argued cannabis was medically necessary to prevent blindness.

• Ruling: Court accepted medical necessity as a valid defense and acquitted Randall.

• Impact: Set precedent that life-preserving medical use could override prohibition under common law necessity doctrine.

2. Federal Supply & Access Fight – “Randall v. United States” (Late 1976–1978)

Key Event: Legal battle for continued federal access to cannabis.

• Trigger: After acquittal, Randall still needed cannabis. Instead of facing ongoing arrest, he sought legal federal supply.

• Actions:

  • Filed petitions and affidavits to the Attorney General and DEA challenging Schedule I classification under the Controlled Substances Act.

  • Pressured federal agencies (FDA, NIDA, DEA) to provide cannabis via the Compassionate Investigational New Drug (IND) Program.

  • Negotiated agreements granting him federally grown cannabis from the University of Mississippi farm.

• Outcome:

  • Randall became the first legal federal medical marijuana patient in U.S. history.

  • Precedent for other Compassionate IND patients (though the program was later restricted).

3. Archival & Policy Importance

Why Both Cases Matter Together:

• US v. Randall = Judicial recognition of medical necessity (courtroom precedent).

• Randall v. US = Bureaucratic admission of cannabis’ medical utility (policy precedent).

• Combined, they form both a legal and documentary breach in the government’s “no medical use” stance.