At a congressional hearing today a GOP lawmaker praised the DEA’s decision to reschedule marijuana, with the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) warning that rescheduling has not yet been finalized.
At today’s hearing of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Congressmember Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR) told HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra that it is “really good welcoming news” that the Biden Administration is moving to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III.
“We’re more than willing to work with you on these issues,” said Becerra, who followed this up by saying “Remember, the cannabis action has not yet been finalized. But we’re more than willing to work with you. We work based off of evidence, and so whatever we do has to be evidence-based.”
While Rep. Chavez-DeRemer praised the decision to reschedule marijuana, she warned against decriminalizing drugs.
“Federal guidance has always been a nightmare, and it’s more important than ever to create a safe and professional environment for one of the fastest growing industries in America. This has proven to be a responsible process. But unlike Oregon’s approach, which was to decriminalize all drugs at the same time was not a good plan.”
To finalize the move of marijuana to Schedule III, six procedural steps must be completed; for more information, click here. You can also click here for a list of the 10 biggest implications of this change.
