Cannabis must be descheduled by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act altogether.
Author: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
It is misleading at best and disingenuous at worst to imply that cannabis smoke exposure is either equal to or more hazardous to health than tobacco smoking, or to imply that long-term data on its respiratory effects do not exist.
Those who consume alcohol legally and responsibly while away from their jobs aren’t punished by their employers unless their work performance is adversely impacted. Those who legally consume cannabis should be held to a similar standard.
Descheduling cannabis removes the threat of undue federal intrusion in existing state marijuana programs and respects America’s longstanding federalist principles allowing states to serve as “laboratories of Democracy.”
Every day that Congress fails to act needlessly jeopardizes the livelihood of these small businesses and their consumers.
After a century of failed policies and canna-bigotry, Americans are ready to move in a different direction — one that legalizes, regulates, and educates.
The establishment of a regulated market designed to keep cannabis products away from young people, and that provides clear warnings to those specific populations who may be more vulnerable to its effects — coupled with a policy of consumer education — is the best way to protect public health and mitigate consumers’ risks.
The millions of Americans who rely upon medical cannabis products ought to be afforded the same entitlements as those who use other conventional medications and therapies.