Nine U.S. senators have sent a letter urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a standard of care for medical marijuana following the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) recommendation to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance.

In a letter addressed to VA Secretary Denis Richard McDonough, the senators highlighted the medical benefits of cannabis and its potential to improve veterans’ healthcare.

“Millions of veterans live in states that have legalized medical cannabis,” the senators wrote. “Yet, given cannabis’ current placement in Schedule I, veterans living in any of these states or territories currently lack parity with their non-veteran counterparts. Veterans must instead seek a new, trusted medical system and provider outside of the VA to have a productive conversation about the benefits of, and potential access to, medical cannabis.”
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Federal legislation to deschedule marijuana and allow the expungement of past convictions has just gained its 94th sponsor in the US House of Representatives.

Yesterday, Congressmember Nikki Budzinski (D-IL) joined as a cosponsor to the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, bringing the total to 94. Budzinski joined as a sponsor the day after Vice President Kamala Harris announced her intentions to run for president; Harris has been a longtime supporter of the MORE Act, including cosponsoring it while she was in the Senate.

The MORE Act aims to remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances, decriminalizing it nationwide. It proposes a federal excise tax starting at 5% on legal marijuana sales for the first two years, increasing to 8% by the fifth year. The bill also includes measures to expunge past marijuana convictions and protect users from being denied public benefits.
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The 60-day period in which the public can comment on the DEA’s proposal to reschedule marijuana has officially concluded.

With 40,000 comments submitted, the public comment period on the DEA’s plan to move marijuana to Schedule III is now complete. The agency had the option of extending the comment period, but chose against it. All 40,000+ comments to the DEA can be viewed by clicking here.

The DEA is now required by law to analyze every comment. Once this is complete, the agency will decide whether or not to hold a public hearing. Last month, nine former DEA administrators sent a letter to the agency asking them to hold a hearing before making a final decision.
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The American Nurses Association (ANA) has sent a letter to the Biden Administration and made public comment to the DEA in support of rescheduling marijuana.

In a letter addressed to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration, the ANA highlighted its long-standing support for evidence-based compassionate therapeutic use of cannabis, noting that “Since 1996, ANA has supported nurses caring for their patients with evidence-based compassionate therapeutic cannabis and advancement of research into this area.”

The ANA says that “In these comments ANA agrees with the analysis that cannabis has numerous therapeutic qualities and should be moved to Schedule III. Further, ANA urges the Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration to act expeditiously to have cannabis decontrolled under the CSA.”

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If marijuana is rescheduled, as proposed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), it could lead to the creation of 50,000 new jobs by 2030.

This is according to a report titled The Economic Impact of Cannabis Scheduling Reform on Small and Minority-Owned Businesses, commissioned by the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) and conducted by Whitney Economics. The report was posted as a public comment to the DEA today, the deadline for doing so.

The MCBA surveyed 206 marijuana licensees across 32 states, uncovering concerning trends within the industry. Only 27 percent of respondents reported profitability, while 41 percent were breaking even, and 36 percent were operating at a loss.
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Today marks the final day for the public to submit comments on the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) proposal to reschedule marijuana.

This comment period, a legally required 60-day window, was initiated on May 21 when the DEA published their proposal in the Federal Register. The comment period officially closes today, July 22, at 11:59 EDT. Comments can be submitted by clicking here.

Currently there are over 36,000 comments submitted. An analysis reveals that more than 50% of these comments advocate for the DEA to fully deschedule marijuana. When combined with those urging the DEA to legalize or decriminalize marijuana, the support rises to over 70%. In contrast, only 8% of comments oppose the proposal, arguing to maintain marijuana as a Schedule I drug.
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