Senators Support Removal Of Marijuana From Controlled Substances Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A group of Democratic senators expressed their support for re-scheduling marijuana under federal law but said the reform should go even further, according to MJBizDaily.

The seven lawmakers sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Anne Milgram last week, backing the DEA’s proposal to transfer marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.  The Schedule 1 classification subjects it to the same strict restrictions as narcotics such as heroin, methamphetamines and LSD.

The senators added that marijuana should be totally removed from the act, saying “Cannabis should be entirely descheduled.”

The group included Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).  They urged Garland and the DEA to finalize the re-scheduling move.

“The proposed rule to reclassify marijuana to schedule III recognizes the medical benefits of marijuana, will improve access for studying the health effects of short and long-term cannabis use, and will provide relief to cannabis businesses that continue to navigate a patchwork regulatory system to conduct legal business,” the letter said.

A 60-day public comment period on the proposal recently ended, and results from the Federal Register showed that 42,925 comments were received, with most in favor of the rescheduling plan.

The senators also emphasized the need to pass comprehensive legislation to completely end federal prohibition of marijuana such as the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act which was reintroduced earlier this year.

“Rescheduling is not the panacea to undoing the harms caused by decades of marijuana prohibition, but it is a step toward addressing the policies that have devastated communities across the country,” they said.

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