united-states
Can the government ban a substance made entirely out of other legal substances?
<p>Marinol, as I am sure many of you know, is synthetic THC. THC is the main psychoactive chemical in Cannabis. It gets prescribed for numerous ailments. Apart from THC, all cannabinoids are more or less completely legal (and most have medically known benefits that are well accepted). Can there be a legal argument there?</p>
<p>Something along the lines of since all its constituent chemicals are either legal or medically prescribed it must not be scheduled in its current state. The reductio ad absurdum being that not doing so says the combination of otherwise legal or prescribed(and allowed federally), are somehow creating a new substance.</p>
<p>This seems to be like saying that peanut butter and chocolate are fine, but Reese's Cups will put you in jail.</p>

<h2>Yes, it can</h2>
<p>First, your argument is scientifically vacuous - Sodium and Chlorine are highly dangerous substances - Sodium bursts into flame on exposure to air and Chlorine is both toxic and corrosive. Sodium Chloride is table salt - dangerous in its own way but not in the same class. The same is true in reverse of  petrol and superphosphate (fertiliser) apart they are relatively benign, together they are a mining explosive.</p>
<p>Second, even if your science was valid, it wouldn't matter. If the government wants to ban substance A and not substance B they have the legal power to do so.</p>
