:::::::USA Set to Reschedule Cannabis::::::: HHS Releases Recommendation Documents:::::::

[Old Piney]

​

​ We have some big news from our nation’s capital. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has reportedly proposed rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Before taking effect, the DEA’s proposal must undergo public comment and official review by the White House Office of Management and Budget. For Americans who live in a state with a medical cannabis program, and for many others across the country seeking access to medical cannabis, this is a positive step forward that will deliver real benefits for medical cannabis patients, providers, and researchers. However, it is important to acknowledge that rescheduling would not affect the criminalization of medical cannabis patients and adult-use cannabis consumers under state laws. Given the strong support among American voters for comprehensive federal cannabis reform, this modest step forward will need to be followed by legislative action. It is absurd to consider cannabis to be more dangerous than cocaine, as is the case today. It will remain absurd to consider cannabis to be more dangerous than alcohol, Xanax, and Valium, which will still be the case after this rescheduling takes effect. Rescheduling cannabis will not resolve the conflicts between state and federal law, so we must also continue the work of enacting sensible and fair cannabis legalization at the state level – primarily by passing laws through legislatures. MPP will maintain pressure on Congress and the Biden administration to enact comprehensive reform. At the same time, we’ll continue our work of dismantling prohibition state by state.

​

​ Matthew Schweich Executive Director Marijuana Policy Project

​

​ P.S. The core of MPP’s funding comes from monthly sustaining donors who provide consistent support so that we can continue replacing failed cannabis policies with sensible and equitable laws that work for everyone. Join our fight today by becoming a monthly sustainer!

Not sure if this is good or bad.On it's face it sounds good but what if it's just a power grab by the feds, how will it affect the states rights and the states basically ignoring federal law now .Just hope it doesn't end up in the hands of big pharma .don't trust the feds or this administration

 

[pipeline]

Yeah I agree, Old Piney.

The bill that has finally been introduced was filed by Democrats and will be a excessively long, complicated bill with more government control.

Would like to see republicans work together with the democrats on this and get a simpler, shorter bill. Cut out the junk.

 

[Hammerhead]

Nothing will change for growers. Big pharma is gonna squeeze hard when this happens.

 

[pipeline]

Marijuana Rescheduling Would Not Bring State Markets ‘Into Compliance’ With Federal Law, Congressional Researchers Say

If the federal government reschedules marijuana as proposed by the Justice Department, that would not legalize cannabis or bring state-regulated markets “into compliance” with federal law, congressional researchers said in a new analysis. However, moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III...

www.marijuanamoment.net

 

[pipeline]

Nothing will change for growers. Big pharma is gonna squeeze hard when this happens.

Thats the way I see it. Big pharma and the bankers are setting up a monopoly where only they can legally grow and sell across state lines.

Wouldn't it be better for patients to be able to grow the medicine that is best for their condition. Every strain is different and can be selected to meet specific needs.

Hopefully congress keeps the "rider" rule they renew annually which prevents the Justice department from using funds to prosecute state legal cannabis activity.

 

[pipeline]

Its really not all that surprising that they are stepping this back slowly to legalization. They have been caught in a poor policy decision because they didn't look at cannabis reform earlier. It affects people who need it for medicine and prohibition is costly, yet they do nothing about it. Can you see the lack of empathy?

 

[pipeline]

This is being set up to be the next big news story hoax to serve as a complete distraction.

Also is setting president to expand the power of the unelected federal agency beaurocrats.

DEA Administrator ‘Did Not Sign Off’ On Marijuana Rescheduling Order, Prohibitionist Group Says

The leader of a marijuana prohibitionist organization that accurately predicted last week’s cannabis rescheduling recommendation now says that sources inside the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are telling him that Anne Milgram, the agency’s administrator, “did not sign off” on the...

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Politics​

DEA Administrator ‘Did Not Sign Off’ On Marijuana Rescheduling Order, Prohibitionist Group Says​

Published

on
May 6, 2024
By
Ben Adlin

The leader of a marijuana prohibitionist organization that accurately predicted last week’s cannabis rescheduling recommendation now says that sources inside the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are telling him that Anne Milgram, the agency’s administrator, “did not sign off” on the landmark decision.
“I can now say with full confidence that the Administrator of DEA, Anne Milgram, did NOT sign the rescheduling order,” Kevin Sabet, president of the advocacy group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), posted on social media Monday, citing “two confidential sources inside DEA and another outside DEA with intimate knowledge.”
He said in a further statement, relayed on The Drug Report, a news site published by the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions—which was co-founded by Sabet—that “it’s hard to overstate how deeply political and flawed this makes the rescheduling process look.”

“DEA Administrator Anne Milgram should be commended for standing up for science and truth, over the profit-driven pot industry,” said Sabet, who served under three presidents as an Office of National Drug Control Policy advisor. “Her courage will show she was on the right side of history. It’s equally hard to overstate what a botched process the Biden Administration’s rescheduling review has been from the outset. This unprecedented action by the Attorney General reflects a process poisoned by political considerations and conducted with a pre-determined outcome.”
SAM recently sent out a fundraising email following the rescheduling announcement, saying explicitly that the group is looking into taking legal action in an effort to halt the federal reform.

BIG: I can now say with full confidence that the Administrator of DEA, Anne Milgram, did NOT sign the rescheduling order, breaking with five decades of precedent and established law and regulations (two confidential sources inside DEA and another outside DEA with intimate…
— Kevin Sabet (@KevinSabet) May 6, 2024

If true, the significance of Sabet’s claim that Milgram didn’t sign off on the rescheduling decision isn’t immediately clear. Asked one reply on social media: “Do you have confirmation this was done in protest or just that Anne Milgram wasn’t the one to sign it?”

If Milgram did not in fact sign the reform document, it’s also not clear who did. It could be the case that a lower-ranking DEA official is the signatory. Alternatively, it could be signed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, perhaps signaling how high of a priority for the administration the marijuana move is.
In a statement to Marijuana Moment last week, Department of Justice (DOJ) Director of Public Affairs Xochitl Hinojosa said that “the Attorney General circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.”
“Once published by the Federal Register,” Hinojosa added, “it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act.”
The next step in the rescheduling process would be for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review the rule. If approved, it would go to public comment before potentially being finalized.

DEA did not provide comment regarding Sabet’s assertions in response to a request from Marijuana Moment.
Milgram is scheduled to appear at a congressional budget hearing on Tuesday morning to discuss the agency’s funding request for fiscal year 2025.
The Drug Report post anticipates that she’ll “likely be met with questions from lawmakers about the DEA’s decision to reschedule marijuana and her agency’s process for coming to that conclusion.”

Later this year, another DEA representative, William Heuett, is set to present on the agency’s “processing of schedule I research applications” at a federal research meeting on the potential for marijuana to treat pain. It’s not clear how that presentation might be updated in light of the ongoing rescheduling process.
Meanwhile in the wake of the DEA rescheduling announcement, a former head of the agency said the proposal is “understandable” because it “reflects the reality” of public opinion toward the medical value of cannabis.

In an interview with Fox News last week week, former DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson said it “absolutely looks like” the agency will follow through with moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
“Whenever we see over a dozen states now have medical marijuana, clearly there’s a movement for reclassification,” he said. “And so it’s not a surprise to me.”

“I think it reflects the reality of today’s both culture but also the public sentiment. That’s most significant,” said Hutchinson, a Republican who also served as governor of Arkansas.
Separately, the top Democrat in the U.S. House said last week that the Biden administration’s move to reschedule marijuana is a “step in the right direction,” but it should be followed up with congressional action such as passing the legalization bill Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, a Republican senator said that marijuana is a “gateway drug,” and Democrats’ moves to legalize it reflect “pro-criminal, anti-American policies” that will “stimulate more crime on American streets.” He also argued that cannabis banking legislation “facilitates an entire infrastructure and an ecosystem for more drug usage in America.”

 

[pipeline]

DEA Head Tells Lawmakers It Would Be ‘Inappropriate’ To Comment On Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal Due To ‘Ongoing’ Administrative Process

The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) told lawmakers on Tuesday that it would be “inappropriate” for her to comment on the agency’s recent marijuana rescheduling determination because the rulemaking process is “ongoing.” About a week after the Justice Department confirmed DEA is...

www.marijuanamoment.net

Politics​

DEA Head Tells Lawmakers It Would Be ‘Inappropriate’ To Comment On Marijuana Rescheduling Proposal Due To ‘Ongoing’ Administrative Process​

Published

on
May 7, 2024
By
Kyle Jaeger

The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) told lawmakers on Tuesday that it would be “inappropriate” for her to comment on the agency’s recent marijuana rescheduling determination because the rulemaking process is “ongoing.”
About a week after the Justice Department confirmed DEA is seeking to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), DEA Administrator Anne Milgram briefly touched on the issue at a hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies.
Ahead of Tuesday’s committee meeting, the prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) said sources familiar with the matter have told them that Milgram did not personally sign the proposed rescheduling rule. If true, that wouldn’t necessarily mean that she disagrees with the decision—but the administrator made clear to lawmakers that she would not be shedding any light on the process at this point.

However, she did notably respond to one question about past precedent and said that “stepping out of marijuana,” she’s unaware of any instance where a DEA administrator hasn’t signed a scheduling order.
Milgram focused much of his opening remarks on combating international fentanyl trafficking, but she also preemptively addressed the marijuana rescheduling news.

“Because the formal rulemaking process is ongoing—and my role in that process is to determine the scheduling of drugs—it would be inappropriate for me to respond to questions on this rescheduling matter,” she said at the end of her opening remarks at the hearing.


While DOJ is moving to reschedule cannabis following an extensive review process, there are still several additional steps before a rule is finalized and implemented. That includes a White House review of the rule, a public comment period and possible administrative hearings.
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) did inquire about the rescheduling decision with Milgram at the hearing despite her opening comments intended to preempt such questioning, and the administrator reiterated that the “process is ongoing” and so she wouldn’t speak about it directly.

“There’s a formal rulemaking process for scheduling or rescheduling controlled substances. That process is ongoing,” she said. “The next step in that process will be a notice of proposed rulemaking and then an opportunity for public comment.”
“Because DEA is involved very much in that scheduling process—and the DEA administrator is personally involved in it—it would be inappropriate for me to comment on it at this time,” she said.
Ruppersberger responded by imploring DEA to “balance” federal enforcement priorities with the need to respect state marijuana laws. He said Maryland’s adult-use cannabis program is “working well.” Milgram simply said she appreciates the input.

Another member, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), pressed the administrator on where the marijuana rescheduling proposal is in the process and whether the White House has communicated with DEA about the action.
Milgram again declined to comment directly. However, when asked about whether she’s aware of an instance where a DEA administrator has not personally signed a scheduling order—as SAM’s sources claims she refrained from doing with the cannabis proposal—she said that “stepping out of marijuana and talking about this generally, I am not” aware of any such instance.
Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) asked the administrator about research into the prevalence of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome and whether she could weigh in on the adverse effects of marijuana use in light of the rescheduling decision. But, again, Milgram said, “because that is going to be a part of this regulatory process, it would be inappropriate for me to comment at this time.”

“But I appreciate your mentioning that study and that, of course, I’ll read it,” she said.
Aderholt went on to say he’s “very, very concerned about this rescheduling” because he believes cannabis use is linked to an increase of certain mental health conditions.
Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) also asked Milgram whether a potential reclassification of marijuana under the CSA would free up DEA resources to tackle the country’s fentanyl issue.

She said that, “because some of this will implicate decisions that become a part of that rulemaking process, I’m not gonna be able to comment on that.”
But at a “very, very high level,” the administrator affirmed that DEA does “currently do work around marijuana across the United States where it rises to the federal level,” referencing “work in a number of states on current illicit marijuana grows that are led by Chinese organizations, for example.”
“So there is work we do. Our top focus is obviously fentanyl—the drug that’s killing Americans,” she said. “But we do do work on [marijuana] currently.”
Later this year, another DEA representative, William Heuett, is set to present on the agency’s “processing of schedule I research applications” at a federal research meeting on the potential for marijuana to treat pain. It’s not clear how that presentation might be updated in light of the ongoing rescheduling process.

Meanwhile in the wake of the DEA rescheduling announcement, a former head of the agency said the proposal is “understandable” because it “reflects the reality” of public opinion toward the medical value of cannabis.
In an interview with Fox News last week week, former DEA Administrator Asa Hutchinson said it “absolutely looks like” the agency will follow through with moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
“Whenever we see over a dozen states now have medical marijuana, clearly there’s a movement for reclassification,” he said. “And so it’s not a surprise to me.”

“I think it reflects the reality of today’s both culture but also the public sentiment. That’s most significant,” said Hutchinson, a Republican who also served as governor of Arkansas.
Separately, the top Democrat in the U.S. House said last week that the Biden administration’s move to reschedule marijuana is a “step in the right direction,” but it should be followed up with congressional action such as passing the legalization bill Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) filed.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, a Republican senator said that marijuana is a “gateway drug,” and Democrats’ moves to legalize it reflect “pro-criminal, anti-American policies” that will “stimulate more crime on American streets.” He also argued that cannabis banking legislation “facilitates an entire infrastructure and an ecosystem for more drug usage in America.”

 

[pipeline]

Talk about politics being a puppet show..... This just happened in the Appropriations committee today? Primary elections are being held today.

Are they trying to get us not to vote, trying to give us low morale and trust in the lawmaking process? Seems like the system is showing its arrogance in being free from representative government due to the gid-lock and nonsense arguing in the federal legislature.

 

[dogzter]

We have shown they can do whatever they want and nothing will happen why would they respect or care about any of us?

 

[pipeline]

They could answer some questions, just after they make their decision. No open hearings, no public or legislative input.

Selective enforcement by the new world order being set up.

 

[dogzter]

Some people

They could answer some questions, just after they make their decision. No open hearings, no public or legislative input.

Selective enforcement by the new world order being set up.

believe the government has their best interests in mind.
Some people think they just want to help the citizenship move forward to a better life.

 

[pipeline]

They're beginning to show their hand on where there are taking us.

 

[pipeline]

Democratic Congressman Lays Out New Marijuana Agenda To Reflect Renewed ‘Optimism’ Amid Rescheduling Move

With the federal government moving to reschedule marijuana, a Democratic congressman has issued a new memo on cannabis reform priorities to reflect renewed “optimism for the path ahead”—laying out suggestions to advance the issue both in Congress and administratively. Rep. Earl Blumenauer...

www.marijuanamoment.net

Democratic Congressman Lays Out New Marijuana Agenda To Reflect Renewed ‘Optimism’ Amid Rescheduling Move​

Published

on
May 7, 2024
By
Kyle Jaeger

With the federal government moving to reschedule marijuana, a Democratic congressman has issued a new memo on cannabis reform priorities to reflect renewed “optimism for the path ahead”—laying out suggestions to advance the issue both in Congress and administratively.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), founding co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, issued the memo on Tuesday—about a week after the Justice Department confirmed that it proposed reclassifying marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
“Schedule III is not quite what we wanted—marijuana shouldn’t be scheduled at all—but it is nonetheless a revolutionary step that sends a signal about the imperative of ending the failed war on drugs,” Blumenauer said, adding that cannabis is “a winning issue.”

“It is clear the Biden-Harris Administration is listening to the unprecedented public demand for cannabis reform. President Biden has been much more engaged on the issue,” the memo says. “He pardoned thousands of individuals, initiated this long-overdue review of scheduling, and opened a new chapter for reform. The Administration must move through the regulatory process as quickly as possible to reschedule cannabis.”
The memo also lays out the key implications of rescheduling, including allowing marijuana businesses to take federal tax deductions and removing cannabis research barriers. The administrative move also represents a critical acknowledgement of the medical value of marijuana, it says.

“With the DOJ’s announcement, this updated memo reflects my optimism for the path ahead and details the work that remains,” Blumenauer said, referencing an earlier annual document he issued in January.
The congressman’s memo emphasizes that while rescheduling represents a “significant step toward ending the failed war on drugs, there is still significant work ahead for Congress.”
To that end, the memo stresses that the “work includes ending the criminalization of marijuana.” As the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a report last week, Blumenauer notes that a Schedule III reclassification would not legalize marijuana, and certain cannabis-related activity would continue to be criminalized under the CSA.

For the remainder of the congressional session, Blumenauer said that lawmakers should focus on advancing legislation to federally legalize cannabis, free up cannabis industry access to the banking system, prevent Justice Department interference in state markets and allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make medical cannabis recommendations to patients.
The memo also makes recommendations for further administrative action, including expanding pardons and commutations for people with federal marijuana convictions, reissuing “improved” guidance on enforcement priorities, updating truck driver THC impairment testing, ending the practice of evicting people from federally subsidized housing over cannabis and more.

“Throughout the executive branch, the Biden-Harris Administration should consider the implications of marijuana prohibition and criminalization as they take steps to end discriminatory policies across branches and with every power available to them,” Blumenauer, who is retiring at the end of this Congress, said.
“There is no doubt that critical work remains,” he said. “However, we should celebrate this historic step forward, which is possible because of the tireless work my partners and I have put behind these reforms for more than 50 years. I am committed to building on this momentum to end the failed cannabis prohibition once and for all.”
Last week, the congressman similarly argued that the rescheduling decision from DEA will “open the floodgates” for additional congressional action such as passage of the bipartisan cannabis banking bill.

“It’s going to make it much easier to have other items that are queued up,” the Democratic congressman said. “With this, it’s going to be a matter of time before we get movement in the Senate—dealing with the banking issue, which is long overdue.”
“Taking it to Schedule III is, first of all a signal, that people recognize that the current scheduling process is completely wrong, flawed and unfair,” Blumenauer said. “It takes care of a major problem that we’ve faced.”
The congressman also reiterated his belief that the Justice Department would soon be reissuing marijuana enforcement discretion guidances that was rescinded under the Trump administration. He and the former DOJ official who authored the original memorandum told Marijuana Moment last week that they expect it will be expanded to account for societal changes around the issue, as well as the rescheduling push.

Meanwhile, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram told lawmakers on Tuesday that it would be “inappropriate” for her to comment on the agency’s recent marijuana rescheduling determination because the rulemaking process is “ongoing.”
The head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) separately said that marijuana industry banking access would make the agency’s job easier, and officials “shouldn’t just sit on our hands” as the federal government moves to reschedule cannabis.

Read Blumenauer’s memo on marijuana reform priorities in light of the rescheduling decision below:

 

[pipeline]

Interaction Of Marijuana Terpenes And Cannabinoids Offers ‘Hope’ For ‘Novel’ Treatments, Study Says

A new review of the science around the components of marijuana says the “complex interaction between phytocannabinoids and biological systems offers hope for novel treatment approaches,” laying the groundwork for a new era of innovation in cannabis-based medicines. Among other takeaways, the...

www.marijuanamoment.net

 

[pipeline]

Congressional Researchers Say It’s ‘Likely’ Marijuana Will Be Rescheduled, But It Wouldn’t Fix Federal-State Policy Gap

It “appears likely” that the federal government will reschedule marijuana, congressional researchers say in a new report. But Congress still has the authority to address the federal-state cannabis policy gap “before or after” that reform is enacted. Days after the Justice Department announced...

www.marijuanamoment.net