Public Comments Show Strong Support For Re-Classifying Marijuana As Schedule III

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The public comment period for the federal government’s proposal to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug has ended, MJBizDaily reports.

Results from the Federal Register showed that 42,925 comments were received, with most in favor of the rescheduling plan.

The 60-day comment period began after the Drug Enforcement Administration recommended categorizing marijuana as a Schedule III drug under the Controlled Substances Act instead of its current Schedule 1 classification, which subjects it to the same strict restrictions as narcotics such as heroin, methamphetamines and LSD.

The cannabis data platform Headset analyzed the comments that were received and found that 91% of them supported rescheduling or requested that the Biden administration remove marijuana entirely from the CSA.  35% agreed with the rescheduling of marijuana while 57% said it should be descheduled.  8% of those commenting said marijuana should remain a Schedule 1 drug.

“These numbers paint a clear picture: over 9 out of 10 individuals who took the time to comment believe that cannabis should not remain a Schedule I substance,” Headset said in a post about the results. “Moreover, the majority of commenters went beyond the proposed rescheduling to Schedule III, arguing for complete removal from the controlled substances list.”

The group said the nearly 43,000 comments set a record for a DEA public comment period, eclipsing the 38,000 comments for 2020 rules involving telemedicine.

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