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Dear John,
You likely have seen the news that HHS made the recommendation to the DEA to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. I want to give you some talking points and FAQs on this here. I also want to share more on what SAM plans to do in the coming days. Let me first share a word of encouragement. We can rest assured that with this recommendation, HHS is recommending that marijuana remain completely illegal, though this is uncharted territory.
HHS’ recommendation is sending a bad message about marijuana, saying that it is less likely to be addictive, which we know is not true, as well as giving the industry an easier path to being legitimate. One of the worst things about this is Schedule III gives the industry access to certain tax advantages which will allow these companies to write off their business expenditures on their taxes. This could include things like advertising, which is concerning because of the industry's track record.
Because this is now in the DEA’s hands, SAM is working on a way for you to contact the DEA and encourage them to follow the science on marijuana. We are also gathering major national and state level allies to sign coalition letters urging DEA not to go along with the HHS recommendation. We have also requested a meeting with the head of the DEA. We will also be asking for your help to write your Members of Congress encouraging them to not go along with this schedule change should the DEA make the recommendation.
This is going to be a long battle and we do not know the timeline, but we will keep you updated along the way. Again, we are encouraged that the industry will not be legitimized in any way even if the worst were to happen.
We are going to fight this with everything we have. And no matter what happens, we will keep fighting for a safe and healthy future for our kids. We appreciate your help and support.
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