The federal legalization of marijuana will undoubtedly make the list of 2024 campaign topics, as there has been a recent, renewed push by President Joe Biden's administration to have the drug reclassified.
The Washington Examiner argued that dropping the substance from its current Schedule I classification to Scheduled III would be a massive mistake, and is likely only a ploy to grab desperately-needed support from younger voters.
The outlet noted:
Drugs on Schedule I, such as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy, are considered to pose a high risk for abuse, whereas Schedule III drugs, such as ketamine and testosterone, are deemed to have “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
While many states have made marijuana legal, both medically and recreationally, it's still considered an illegal substance under federal law, which brings massive headaches for cannabis businesses, bank processors and other hurdles based on current federal law.
🚨 @HHSgov has made a historic recommendation to move marijuana to Schedule III under federal law!
Last month, I pressed DEA Administrator Anne Milgram on the Biden Administration’s timeline on rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III👇 https://t.co/TttczZjYeW pic.twitter.com/RT6SwyOWS3
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) August 30, 2023
The marijuana lobby has undoubtedly hit Washington, D.C. hard, since it's in its best interest to go all out in its attempts to have the drug reclassified.
The Examiner noted:
In addition to making it far easier to use and abuse marijuana, moving marijuana to Schedule III would open a floodgate of investment into the industry. It would allow marijuana businesses to take tax exemptions for expenses such as salaries, benefits, office supplies, and travel costs.
The outlet went on to note that making such a move, which originated from Biden's actions last year, would be a detriment to public health.
Expanded marijuana use, though, is already a grave problem, and for the officials to encourage it further would be a travesty. Technically, the recommendation to reclassify the drug comes from the Department of Health and Human Services, although it stemmed from a “review” ordered by Biden last October when he also issued an ill-advised and legally questionable “blanket pardon” to everyone ever convicted under federal law for marijuana possession.
The Examiner, in its editorial, refuted Democrats' "science" approach to reclassifying the drug, pointing to relevant and eye-opening studies showing that the plant isn't exactly the harmless drug that Democrats want their voters to think it is.
"Study after study has shown that marijuana is not the harmless substance that pop culture claims but an addictive and dangerous drug best avoided," the editorial read.
It was also noted that traffic-related deaths have increased in states that have legalized the drug, noting that the drug impairs drivers not unlike alcohol.
The latest push to reclassify the drug drew mixed reactions from social media users, with some applauding the efforts and some concerned at the dangers of making the drug more widely available.
"Thank you Matt and thank you HHS. Finally some progress," one X user wrote.
Another X user wrote, "Poll numbers must be really bad if they're going to play this card."
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