Nearly 40 years ago, advocates made the case to the DEA’s own judge that cannabis did not meet the definition of a Schedule I controlled substance. Their case is exponentially stronger now.
Tag: DEA
The hearing is scheduled to commence on Monday, December 2, 2024.
“NORML is in a unique position to mobilize interested parties to provide their perspectives throughout the public comment period and we will be encouraging advocates and experts to do so in the coming weeks.”
In a video message, the President called the proposed scheduling change “monumental.”
That is why, some 50 years after NORML first began this fight, I am pleased to see the federal government finally acknowledge what we – and millions of Americans – have known all along: That marijuana is a legitimate therapy for many Americans and that it doesn’t belong in Schedule I.
Perhaps most tellingly, our political opponents are also touting its significance, pledging to take whatever steps necessary to derail this proposed policy change.
“It is significant for these federal agencies, and the DEA and FDA in particular, to acknowledge publicly for the first time what many patients and advocates have known for decades: that cannabis is a safe and effective therapeutic agent for tens of millions of Americans.”
Federal health officials concluded, “The risks to the public health posed by marijuana are low compared to other drugs of abuse,” such as benzodiazepines — a Schedule IV drug, or alcohol, which is unscheduled.