A coalition of Republican lawmakers from Congress is urging Drug Enforcement Administration to “reject” a recommendation by the federal agency to reschedule cannabis and keep it under the most restrictive category in the Controlled Substances Act.
In a Monday letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, Sen. James Lankford and Rep. Pete Sessions led a dozen colleagues from both chambers to argue that any decision on rescheduling cannabis “should not be based on popular opinion, state law changes, or an administration’s preferred policy.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has stressed that the review of marijuana scheduling conducted by President Joe Biden in late 2013 was based on science. After 11 months of research, has recommended that marijuana is placed on Schedule III. Milgram has also made it clear that DEA will review the science.
The Washington Stand reported that eight GOP senators, six House members, and a former HHS official, all of whom distrust the motivations behind HHS’s recommendation, argued that “current research, science, trends, and statistics support the argument that marijuana should be kept on Schedule I drugs.”
The National Institute on Drug Abuse data on cannabis use disorders and the increased THC potency in marijuana products were cited. They also raised concerns over the fact that NIDA had signed off on the HHS rescheduling recommendations before they were sent to DEA.
In 2016, the DEA denied two petitions for reclassification of marijuana. “The rejection letter stated that, at this time, known risks of marijuana have not been proven to be overweighed by specific benefits shown in well-controlled, scientifically evaluated clinical trials that evaluate safety and efficacy,” the Republican legislators wrote. We still believe that this analysis holds true today. HHS actually recommended to the DEA at that time that these petitions be rejected and that marijuana stay in Schedule I.”
Signatories of the letter include several well-known prohibitionists. Lankford, for instance, opposed a modest Senate proposal in April to support research into medical marijuana for veterans. He also urged Oklahoma voters not to vote for a marijuana legalization initiative.
Sessions, who was the co-author of the letter to DEA Administrator, had been responsible for blocking the advancement of virtually every cannabis amendment during his tenure as the chairman the House Rules Committee for many years.
Other signatories include Sens. Michael Rounds, R-SD, James Risch, R-ID; Marsha Blackburn, R-TN; Ted Budd (RNC); Markwayne Mullin and Tom Cotton.
“The facts we know about marijuana are the same as they were in 2016. “If anything, it has only gotten worst,” they wrote.
It is irresponsible of HHS to recommend marijuana be removed Schedule I. The letter also concludes that it would be irresponsible if DEA acted on this recommendation. Our country relies on DEA for enforcement of our nation’s drugs laws. We ask that you uphold your mission and reject any attempt to remove marijuana as Schedule I.
A second GOP member, Rep. Greg Murphy of North Carolina, sent a separate letter to HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra in which expressed concern over the agency’s rescheduling recommendations. He also asked the official several questions regarding how the decision was made.
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A Republican congressman who supports legalization has recently expressed his concern that moving marijuana from Schedule III to Schedule IV may accidentally lead to the pharmaceutical industry overtaking the cannabis industry .
Biden has not personally commented on HHS’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana. However, the White House Press Secretary did state last month that President Obama has “always” supported the legalization for medical marijuana.
Biden’s “always” supporting cannabis reform is not true. was a Senator who championed a number of pieces of legislation which intensified the war against drugs .
The rescheduling of marijuana would not allow federal access to the current medical cannabis programs at state level, but it would open up the research on the plant. This would have important implications in the marijuana industry.
The recommendation of the top health agency has been praised by lawmakers from both parties. has described the recommendation as an important step on the road to federal legalization. has claimed credit, pointing out their years of activism around marijuana reform.
Moving marijuana from Schedule I into Schedule III could be a political move that would allow the President to claim that he has helped to accomplish a major change. It may also facilitate an administrative review which will lead to rescheduling, more than 50 year after the Government launched its War on Drugs and placed cannabis under the CSA’s most restrictive category.
This change does not fulfill Biden’s promise to decriminalize cannabis.
The incremental reforms could still help to boost congressional efforts for further changes in federal cannabis laws. For example, a marijuana banking bill that Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (DNY) described as a priority during the fall session.
Below, you can read the letter from Republican legislators to DEA Administrator on marijuana scheduling:
Senate Committee chair plans Marijuana banking vote announcement in ‘next few days’ –but ‘outlying issues’ remain
Photo by Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
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