Democrats urge DEA to end delay, ‘swiftly’ reclassify status of marijuana
1 of 2 | Horticulturist Justin Sheffield inspects cannabis plants in a grow room at the Beleaf Medical Growing Facility in Earth City, Mo., in 2023. In a letter on Thursday, Democratic lawmakers noted 18 months have passed since President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to begin the process of reviewing marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
April 25 (UPI) — Twenty-one congressional Democrats sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration on Thursday, urging officials to “swiftly” reschedule marijuana’s drug status.
The letter, penned by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Barbara Lee, D-Calif., was sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Lawmakers in the letter noted 18 months have passed since President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice to begin the process of reviewing marijuana’s status as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
The DEA is currently reviewing marijuana’s Schedule I status. The designation marks drugs with no accepted medical use and a “high risk” of abuse. Schedule 1 includes so-called hard drugs such as heroin, LSD and meth.
HHS eight months ago recommended rescheduling marijuana as a Schedule…
