According to a recent report, officials at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are resisting calls to reschedule marijuana.
Despite calls from the Biden Administration to reschedule marijuana, including a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III, officials at the DEA remain opposed to – or are at least skeptical of – rescheduling marijuana. This is according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal.
Citing anonymous sources “familiar with the matter”, the report states that some top DEA officials are disputing HHS’s scientific analysis of marijuana. The analysis by HHW came to the conclusion that since marijuana has known medical value, it should not remain a Schedule I drug, and instead should be moved to Schedule III which would legalize it for prescription use nationwide.
The report also notes that DEA officials are concerned about the potential health issues related to high-THC marijuana and marijuana products.
These concerns don’t mean that the DEA will reject HHS’s recommendation, but it shows that there is some contention on the issue within the agency. This could also explain why the DEA has been slow to respond to HHS’s request; there’s simply no consensus at the moment.
According to a report released in September by the Congressional Research Service (CRS), it’s “likely” the DEA will reschedule marijuana to reschedule III, which will have “broad implications for federal policy”.
For a full breakdown and timeline of the DEA’s rescheduling review, click here.
