In 1974, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled against the government and ordered them to process the petition ("NORML v. Ingersoll" 497 F.2d 654). The government continued to rely on treaty commitments in their interpretation of scheduling-related issues concerning the NORML petition. In 1977, the Court issued a decision clarifying that the Controlled Substances Act requires a full scientific and medical evaluation and the fulfillment of the rescheduling process before treaty commitments can be evaluated ("NORML v. DEA 559 F.2d 735"). On October 16, 1980, the Court ordered the government to start the scientific and medical evaluations required by the NORML petition ("NORML v. DEA Unpublished Disposition, U.S. App. LEXIS 13100").