On Tuesday, the governors of six U.S. States–Colorado Illinois New York New Jersey Maryland and Louisiana sent a letter to Joe Biden (D), urging him to move marijuana from Schedule II to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act before the end of the year.
A press release issued by the Colorado Governor’s office states that “nearly 88 per cent of Americans support legalization of marijuana for recreational and medical use.” Jared Polis, a Democrat who headed the group, was in charge. This action will correct this outdated designation that risks public safety and small businesses.
In a letter to President Obama, the governors stated that the HHS recommendation was “followed by 38 states establishing their own state markets and regulatory systems.”
The FDA and Department of Health and Human Services are confident in the state regulators and regulations they have put into place to protect citizens.
The governors assured Biden that the demand for marijuana will not diminish anytime soon in the United States. They argued that products sold on regulated markets are safer than illicit ones.
There is and will be a large demand from consumers for cannabis. This fact will not be altered by our policy decisions,” says the letter. It seems to us obvious and reasonable to make cannabis as safe for adults as possible while protecting our children. “The state-regulated market does exactly that.”
The governors said that if the state-legal market doesn’t last, we will be seeing unsafe products everywhere.
Polis’s Office also noted potential economic impacts from rescheduling. It pointed out that “the change would allow cannabis-related business to take ordinary tax deductions, like any other businesses.”
The Colorado Governor’s Office stated that “rescheduling marijuana will not only ease the financial and security concerns for businesses, but allow a flourishing industry to play a role in the American Business environment.”
Just over three months have passed since the Department of Health and Human Services leaked news that it had sent a recommendation that marijuana be rescheduled to Schedule III by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Polis praised the Colorado development, but said that there was still more to do on other issues, including banking and Food and Drug Administration enforcement guidelines.
Polis, one of the earliest state officials to respond to the HHS rescheduling recommendations, told Biden via a letter dated September that he expected DEA to “expeditiously complete” its review and move cannabis to Schedule III. However, he added, this policy change should be accompanied by further administrative and Congressional action in order to promote health and safety, as well as economic growth.
In response to a request for public records, the government released the rescheduling correspondence between HHS and DEA with a high degree of redaction . Redacted sections include the majority of the content, including the recommendation for scheduling marijuana and the scientific review that was included with the letter.
The document sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram states that the HHS’s recommendation was based “on eight factors determinative of control of a drug under 21 U.S.C. 81 1 (c).”
The Congressional Research Service (CRS), based on previous precedent , concluded that DEA was “likely to” follow HHS’s recommendation. However, DEA has the right not to follow HHS’s advice as it is the final authority over the CSA.
Six former DEA directors and five former White House Drug Czars have sent a letter to the Attorney General and current DEA Administrator expressing their opposition to the recommendation of the federal health agency to reschedule cannabis . The letter also included a questionable statement about the relationship between criminal penalties and drug schedules, which could have exaggerated the impact of incremental reform.
The DEA and Office of National Drug Control Policy directors under both major parties’ presidents are among the signatories.
In October, advocates and lawmakers who support marijuana reform marked one year anniversary of Biden’s mass marijuana pardon. They also called on him to do even more.
Recently, two GOP senators, among them the Republican lead sponsor of an marijuana banking bill that passed a key committee in a month have filed new legislation to prohibit federal agencies from rescheduling Cannabis without tacit consent from Congress.
A coalition of Republican lawmakers is urging DEA, meanwhile to “reject”, the top federal agency’s recommendation that marijuana be rescheduled and instead kept in the most restricted category under the CSA.
Below is the full Letter from the six Governors to the Biden Administration:
Veterans Groups Ask Biden To Ensure Marijuana Scheduling Review Is Completed In ‘Timely Manner’ And Push For Broader Reform
The first time Marijuana Moment appeared was Six governors push Biden to ensure marijuana is rescheduled by the end of this year.
