TOPEKA (KSNT) – With the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) planning to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, what would the impact be on Kansas?
Kansas Cannabis Coalition advocate Kelly Rippel says if the government reclassifies marijuana, Kansas lawmakers will have to respond.
“We’re not looking very intelligent in the drug policy arena at this point,” Rippel said.
Marijuana is currently a Schedule I substance in the same class as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. The reclassification could see marijuana moved into the Schedule III drugs list. The DEA considers Schedule III drugs as substances with low or moderate potential for psychological dependence.
Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.
“We’ve reached a critical mass point where the majority of Kansans want medical cannabis,” Rippel said. “President Biden has come out and said medical should be recognized, Kansas has to do something and its beyond time to do that.”
Political Science Professor at Washburn University Bob Beatty said the immediate impact on Kansas would be “not much”. He said the reason rescheduling would have minimal impact on Kansas is partially because of the lengthy review process. Additionally, the rescheduling would need to be ratified by the U.S. Congress.
“If marijuana is reclassified, then it still would be illegal in KS and thus not available in the medicines that it would be available in legal states,” Beatty said.
In written opposition to Senate Bill 555, Legalization of Medical Marijuana, Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Tony Mattivi said Kansans already have legally available prescriptions for Food and Drug Administration-approved marijuana products like Epidiolex, Marinol and Cesamet.
“Because there is no legitimate medical need for SB 555, I suggest there are two true purposes for this bill: incrementalism and profit,” Mattivi said on March 27. “Incrementalism means that this bill is one step toward the cannabis industry’s goal to normalize marijuana use at any level. The next step, of course, would be to widen the ‘medical marijuana’ approvals.”
H/T: www.yahoo.com
