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Dear John,
As you may know, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Department of Justice (DOJ) reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. DEA and DOJ don't have to follow this recommendation. They are now conducting their own investigation which is why they need to hear from you.
Controlled substances can be rescheduled two ways:
- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducts a scheduling review and the Department of Justice (DOJ) makes a final determination.
- Congress passes legislation to schedule or reschedule a drug.
Although this currently sits with DEA and DOJ, Congress could also act independently. Tell Congress and the DOJ: follow the science and don't reschedule marijuana.
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. Click here to download our talking points and FAQs to learn more about what that would mean.
Make your voice heard: tell Congress and the DOJ to not reschedule marijuana.
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