Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), says that he is aware of the public interest in the timeframe for the administrative review of marijuana schedule scheduling. However, there are “a few hurdles we need to clear” before that assessment can be completed.
Xavier Becerra, HHS Secretary, took to Twitter Wednesday to share a media excerpt of his interview with KDKA-TV about cannabis. The clip aired earlier this week. He assured followers that he saw the comments and that a lot of people are asking questions about marijuana’s status.
He said, “I understand you and I just know that we are working quickly but still have some hoops to jump through.” “Science will always guide this decision, as it has always.”
I have seen the comments, and I am aware that a lot of people are asking questions about marijuana’s status.
I understand your frustrations and know that while we try to move quickly, there are still some hurdles to overcome. This decision will be guided by science as usual. More from what I told @KDKA: pic.twitter.com/By9EwdrKJu
— Secretary Xavier Becerra March 22, 2023
Becerra encouraged a conversation in which the secretary refused to agree to complete the cannabis scheduling review before the official cannabis holiday of 4/20. However, he did state that the process will consider shifts in the meaning of the drug to Americans over the past several decades.
Many industry stakeholders and advocates have asked questions about the time it will take for the Food and Drug Administration to complete its review. Biden administration officials used the term “expeditiously” several times, but declined to give a precise timeline.
Becerra laughed when asked if HHS would announce its decision before April 20.
“It’s gotto go through a lot of hoops, and again, safety and efficacy will drive this determination,” said the secretary. He has also been known to play into Twitter symbolism.
Becerra reiterated his previous statements that the department’s review would be based on science and safety for Americans. But, he noted that the department will also consider “whether or not” we can prove that cannabis has changed since the 1990s.
Marijuana Moment reached an HHS representative for clarification about how public opinion and state legalization efforts are incorporated into the department’s review. However, a representative wasn’t immediately available.
Stay tuned @LegalizeItBruh We’ll post the answers to a local TV station that asked Secretary about de-scheduling.
Kamara Jones (Acting ASPA), (@HHS_Spox March 22, 2023
It’s worth noting that marijuana was illegal in any state until 1996. Now, 37 states have medical cannabis programs, while 21 states allow adult use.
Polling also shows that support for legalizing cannabis is much higher than it was in the early 1990s. However, nearly seven out ten Americans favor full legalization.
In a letter to the Congressional Cannabis Caucus , the secretary stated that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will make the final determination on marijuana scheduling.
The letter reiterated the key point FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock made shortly after President Joe Biden’s October directive was issued. It also included a mass pardon for federal marijuana possession offenders.
FDA will review the submissions under HHS’s supervision. The findings of that review are binding, but only to the extent the science is concerned. The Controlled Substances Act covers scheduling decisions, but it is up to DEA to make the final call. DEA could decide to keep marijuana in Schedule I.
Woodcock , FDA’s chief of staff, said similarly that DEA “has all the final word” regarding any scheduling decisions made after their review.
This month, more than 12 bipartisan congressional legislators sent a letter to Becerra and U.S. attorney General Merrick Garland requesting transparency in the cannabis scheduling review.
According to the letter, Biden’s scheduling directive is “an opportunity for honest assessment of origins and consequences of federal policy,” adding that marijuana was “stigma not science” and that it’s now “time to address marijuana’s current reality as a state-regulated substance.”
Separately, Garland stated at a Senate hearing that DOJ “still working on marijuana policy” while waiting for the results of the scientific review by health agencies.
Washington House Panel Approves Senate Bill to Allow Interstate Cannabis Commerce
Marijuana Moment : The post Top Federal Health Officer Says Marijuana Scheduling Review Needs to Go Through “A Few Hoops” was first published by Marijuana Moment .
