Why do Republican lawmakers want President Biden to reclassify cannabis instead of removing it from the CSA?

Marijuana has always been a source of political tension in America. This is because lawmakers are constantly trying to make sure it is legalized, or fighting the legalization process. Regardless of the position taken by lawmakers, one thing is certain: marijuana is an essential ingredient in sparking political debates.

President Biden’s first election promise

During his presidential campaign, Joe Biden ran for several pledges that caught America’s attention. One of these indications was the desire for “modest” reforms such as:

• The decriminalization of marijuana possession.

• Deletion of criminal records.

• Respecting states that have established their cannabis laws.

However, since assuming the prestigious office, President Biden has not made any progress on any of these promises. Instead, he fired his White House staff over a conflict over marijuana. He also began expanding budgetary provisions that will prevent Washington DC from legalizing the sale of marijuana.

Cannabis, exercise, and why reclassification is so important.

The president’s move was shocking to cannabis enthusiasts who only voted for him because he promised to get better in the marijuana industry. President Biden also took an opposite, surprising move by proposing to re-evaluate the global rules of sport on cannabis.

His comments on cannabis and exercise stemmed from a recent scandal involving an American runner who tested positive for cannabis. But that’s nowhere near the sweeping reform he promised the Americans during the election campaign.

The President’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, initially did not condemn the sanctions imposed by Olympic officials on US runner Sha’Carri Richardson. However, CNN later announced that the situation requires the government to review its marijuana policy.

Earlier in April, Psaki mentioned that the Biden campaign’s promise to release federal prisoners with cannabis convictions would begin with a postponement of cannabis, which experts say is a proposal that will not achieve the government’s goals.

Congress demands

Two Republican MPs in Congress are currently calling on President Biden to remember and keep his campaign promise regarding marijuana. Said promise includes postponing marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

The representatives are Don Young (R-AK) and Dave Joyce (R-OH), co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. They sent a letter to President Biden stating that marijuana reform labeled “Modest Reforms Critical to Public Health” is “like heroin. This category is intended to apply to drugs that have no medical value and have a high probability of abuse.

Rep. Joyce announced in a tweet that opioid-induced overdose resulted in 69,710 deaths in 2020. Hence, America cannot afford to ignore less addictive pain management options, and therefore cannabis should be postponed as it is of public health concern.

The postponement of Schedule 1 and the reclassification of cannabis

If cannabis continues to be a List 1 substance, it will not be approved for medical purposes at the federal level because it is still illegal at that level. This finding explains why there are still research limitations stifling the process of treating patients with cannabis.

Cancer patients, veterans with post-traumatic stress (PTSD), and those with multiple sclerosis and seizures can all get the help they need with cannabis treatment. But without switching from the Schedule 1 group, they will be deprived of such treatment options.

So if cannabis is so important to the medical world, why hasn’t the change happened? Well, the process of such reclassification and rescheduling is much more complicated under federal law. This requires an act of Congress and the approval of the President.

If the drug being reclassified is only allowed to be done by the executive branch of the government, some procedures must be followed. First, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or a third party must sign a petition.

The attorney general will consider the petition, who will then delegate the role to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The attorney general will initiate the process by also requesting a scientific review from the HHS.

At HHS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews the public, medical, health, and scientific ramifications before submitting their review to the Department of Justice. From then on, a formal move for debt rescheduling begins. If cannabis is moved into a 2 or 3 section, the FDA and Big Pharma will have a huge say in the future of the drug. If it is no longer planned as a controlled substance, Big Pharma has no say in the future of the industry.

Cannabis as a value-adding substance in medicine

The Republican legislature’s letter to the president claims that research has shown marijuana to be less addicting and very effective at treating pain. It is an excellent alternative to opioids and should be used by doctors.

The representatives insist on a reclassification for the benefit of patients across the country and want to work with the Biden government to achieve this in record time. The representatives hope that lives will be saved and more patients will find relief from their pain when marijuana is added to their treatment options.

Cannabis advocates are aiming for cannabis to be removed from the CSA entirely, rather than being reclassified to another category. They believe that cannabis, as a valuable medicinal substance, has reached a full cycle and must be removed from the Appendix 1 classification in order to be exempt from the federal ban.

Suppose America wants to harness the value of cannabis as a medical aid to patients. If so, it must follow the advice of Republican officials and ask the president to reclassify cannabis. So much can be done with marijuana and government restrictions stand in the way.

Bottom line

The world is awakening to the myriad of health potentials and opportunities cannabis has to offer. Insights into what marijuana can do is driving lawmakers around the world to make it a mainstream drug. So the Republican lawmakers who wrote President Biden live up to expectations of this moment.

If America continues with the current state of cannabis as a List 1 drug, its medical system will miss out on all of the immense benefits that patients can enjoy. The representatives do not make any new demands; they merely remind President Biden of his campaign promises to be kept at this crucial time in American marijuana history.

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