More than a dozen lawmakers have sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to take additional steps on cannabis decriminalization before his term expires in mid-January.
The letter — which was endorsed by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), and others — lauded the administration’s work to transfer cannabis from the Schedule I series of drugs to Schedule III, but added that the transition should be finalized before January 20.
Moving cannabis to Schedule III means that the government will recognize the drug’s accepted medical uses, whereas, at its current place on Schedule I, the drug is defined as having no medical benefits. The Biden administration announced the beginning of the transition in the fall of 2023.
The letter noted that the transition would not address the gap between federal and state cannabis policy, and that more action was needed to resolve the harms of criminalization.
“Possession and use of recreational marijuana — and much state-legal medical marijuana — will continue to be a violation of federal law,” the letter stated.
H/T: truthout.org
