United States Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says the DEA’s marijuana rescheduling decision is “great news”, calling it “a historic step forward”.
“It is great news that DEA is finally recognizing that restrictive and draconian cannabis laws need to change to catch up to what science and the majority of Americans have said loud and clear,” Schumer said in a press release.
Schumer says “While this rescheduling announcement is a historic step forward, I remain strongly committed to continuing to work on legislation like the SAFER Banking Act as well as the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which federally deschedules cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act.”
Schumer finishes his statement by saying “Congress must do everything we can to end the federal prohibition on cannabis and address longstanding harms caused by the drug war.”
Schumer has been a longtime proponent of descheduling marijuana and legalizing it nationwide. The DEA’s decision does neither of those, but it does legalize marijuana for prescription use across the US, while providing legal protections to medical marijuana patients and businesses that are following state law.
The DEA’s decision to reschedule marijuana was prompted by a recommendation from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). HHS conducted a nearly yearlong review following an executive order for President Biden.
