Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith, a veteran of nearly four decades in law enforcement, has penned an op-ed urging President Donald Trump to follow through on rescheduling marijuana.
Writing for Inside Sources, Smith said his experience in drug enforcement has convinced him that the nation’s current approach to marijuana is outdated and counterproductive.
Smith says that moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law is a long-overdue step. He argued the current Schedule I classification, which places marijuana alongside heroin and LSD, is inconsistent with scientific evidence and medical practice. “That just doesn’t square with reality,” Smith wrote, noting that even cocaine is not in this top-tier category but instead classified as Schedule II. He added that while marijuana should remain a controlled substance, “common sense tells me it does not belong in the same category as heroin or LSD. It ought to be considered Schedule III, a category for drugs with ‘moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence’ and some legitimate medical applications.”
According to Smith, rescheduling would not legalize marijuana but would allow researchers to study its benefits without the heavy restrictions that come with Schedule I status.
“What rescheduling would do is remove the unnecessarily restrictive Schedule I barrier that makes it far more difficult for medical researchers to investigate the potential of cannabis-based treatments,” he explained. Smith pointed to veterans and fellow law enforcement officers struggling with PTSD who could benefit from marijuana-based treatments, along with patients facing cancer, epilepsy, anxiety, and chronic pain.
“Over the years, too many officers I’ve worked alongside have carried the invisible wounds of PTSD… Cannabis-based treatments have already proven effective for treating PTSD,” he wrote, adding that the Schedule I designation has left doctors and researchers facing “endless bureaucratic hurdles” while patients’ access remains “severely limited.”
Smith criticized the Biden administration for failing to act on the Department of Health and Human Services’ recommendation to reclassify marijuana. He said Trump now has the opportunity to correct “mistakes of the past” and ensure medical research and patient access move forward.
“For the sake of veterans, patients, and plain common sense, I believe rescheduling is the right step forward,” Smith wrote, adding that resources should be directed toward fighting fentanyl and methamphetamine rather than continuing to treat marijuana as a top-tier controlled substance.
For Smith’s full op-ed, click here.
