DEA CANNABIS RESCHEDULING

PUBLIC COMMENT VIEWER

Here is a random public comment on the rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III from an anonymous commenter.
Dear Drug Enforcement Administration, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the DEA’s proposed rule change, which would reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). I am writing to express my concerns with this proposed rule. While I appreciate the Administration’s recognition that marijuana should be removed from Schedule I, this proposed rule falls short and ultimately will not reduce the decades of damage caused by the criminalization of marijuana. Furthermore, the proposed rule misses an opportunity to align federal policy with where much of the country is headed, and is completely out of step with where most Americans are on this issue. Rather than rescheduling, I urge the DEA to reconsider its proposed rule and instead issue a rule that would completely deschedule marijuana from the CSA. Marijuana was initially included in the CSA pending a study and review by the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, better known as the Shafer Commission, over 50 years ago. That study concluded that marijuana was no more dangerous than alcohol and recommended that it be decriminalized. Nixon rejected this recommendation, and his domestic policy chief was later quoted as saying this decision was predicated on a desire to weaponize criminalization and the so called “War on Drugs” to target Black and Brown people and anti-war protestors. He stated: “We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course, we did.” We know the devastation this “War on Drugs” has wreaked on Black and Brown communities. In all 50 states, Black people are more likely to be arrested for marijuana offenses than white people, despite similar usage rates. On average across the nation, a Black person is nearly four times as likely to be arrested for a marijuana offense than a white person. While often touted for its liberalism, in New York City 94 percent of all people arrested for marijuana offenses are people of color. The last 50 years has taught us that we cannot achieve racial justice so long as this “War on Drugs” is allowed to rage. In addition to the racial injustice linked to criminalizing marijuana, the continued criminalization of marijuana is incredibly fiscally irresponsible. Forty percent of all drug arrests in the U.S. are for marijuana offenses, overwhelmingly for simple possession. In fact, arrests for marijuana outnumber arrests for all violent crimes combined. It is estimated that the U.S. spends upwards of $7.6 billion annually on the criminalization of marijuana. Putting aside the real harms caused by criminalization, this is an enormous amount of taxpayer money that could be put to far better use. This money could be used to fund schools, mental health and substance abuse services, proper nutrition for families, and youth programming. Missouri legalized marijuana in 2020, and it is projected that by the end of 2024 it will have generated $238 million in tax revenue. The state uses that money to fund drug treatment, veteran services, and other important social programs. In another example, Colorado generated $1.6 billion in tax revenue within a six-year period to fund schools, literacy programs, and mental health services. Widespread acceptance of marijuana has increased tremendously in recent decades. Twenty-four states have completely legalized recreational marijuana, and over half of Americans live in a state where it is legal. Another 14 states have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. In one of the most obvious signs that legalization is working, not a single state has reversed its legalization of marijuana. Furthermore, 88 percent of Americans support legalization for either recreational or medical use. And more than half of Americans state they have used marijuana, making enforcement even more arbitrary. States have long been considered the “laboratories of democracy,” the federal government should follow the success of these states, and the will of the American people and deschedule marijuana. Federal descheduling will demonstrate leadership in helping clear the path for the remaining states to decriminalize marijuana, a crucial step in reducing the overcriminalization of Black and Brown people. Thank you for considering my views, and again I urge you to update the proposed rule to deschedule marijuana.
Over 42,000 public comments were submitted. Public commenters, thank you for your courage!