Cannabis Scheduling Coalition Praises DEA Move to Schedule III

In response to news reports regarding rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coalition for Cannabis Scheduling Reform issued the following statement:

“The Coalition for Cannabis Scheduling Reform applauds the Drug Enforcement Administration’s reported proposal to move cannabis down to Schedule III. For decades, cannabis has been misclassified as a Schedule I controlled substance, on par with heroin and above fentanyl and meth. That policy, once a centerpiece of our nation’s failed drug war, is coming to an end.

“We applaud President Biden for initiating the administrative review of the status of cannabis under federal law, including a comprehensive review of scientific evidence by the Food and Drug Administration. As a result of this review, the federal government is finally recognizing that cannabis has therapeutic value and low abuse potential.

“Moving cannabis down to Schedule III represents the greatest single cannabis reform in US history. Our coalition is committed to the full legalization of cannabis, and we believe that rescheduling is a crucial step toward that goal. Rescheduling provides a wide range of benefits over the unacceptable status quo, including facilitating research and signaling to the criminal justice system that cannabis should be a lower priority. 

“The most immediate impact of rescheduling will be felt by cannabis operators – especially social equity and small business owners – who have struggled under the onerous 280E tax burden. With cannabis at Schedule III, regulated operators will be able to take the standard business deductions available to every other industry.

“We look forward to submitting public comment on the proposed rule, which is built upon a foundation of unassailable scientific evidence. We thank President Biden and his Administration for following through on the commitment to modernize the federal government’s approach to cannabis regulation. A historic shift is underway, and we look forward to the implementation of Schedule III in the coming months.”