The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is set to begin accepting comments on a rule that would move marijuana to a lower drug classification. This historic move comes after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended that the drug be rescheduled following a directive issued by President Biden in 2022 to review the drug’s current classification.
At the moment, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Drugs under this classification are said to have no accepted use in the medical world and a high potential for abuse. The drugs include heroin, LSD, peyote, raw opium, methaqualone and ecstasy.
A proposal announced last month would allow marijuana to be moved to Schedule III, where drugs with moderate-low potential for dependence and accepted medical uses are classified. This includes drugs such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine.
The change would lift restrictions on marijuana research while also reducing the tax burden of some marijuana businesses. However, marijuana would still be illegal at the federal level.
The resolution recognized the medical uses of marijuana and acknowledges that it has less potential for abuse in comparison to other drugs. The justice department will be open to comments on this change until July 22, 2024. As of May 27, 2024, the department had already received more than 6,300 comments, all of which are public record and can be seen by others.
One commenter stated that the change was good legislation, noting that the time had come to stop treating the use of marijuana, which had many medicinal uses, as a criminal offense. They added that this was good for the country. Another commenter stated that the change was a bad idea and that marijuana needed to remain in Schedule I because it was a gateway drug that ruined the lives of its users.
From the above, one can see that the comments vary and come from opposite sides of the spectrum. Individuals who would like to read comments submitted or those who would like to submit a comment themselves can do so at https://www.regulations.gov/document/DEA-2024-0059-0001.
The DOJ is also accepting physical submissions, as long as they are postmarked by or on July 22. All physical submissions should be addressed to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s address on Morrissette Drive, state of Virginia.
It is expected that since the proposed rule has a lengthy regulatory process ahead, the situation may not be concluded until after the upcoming presidential election.
In the meantime, cannabis companies such as Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) will probably monitor the comments submitted to see what possible result will come out of the rulemaking process triggering cannabis rescheduling by the DEA.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Software Effective Solutions Corp. (d/b/a MedCana) (OTC: SFWJ) are available in the company’s newsroom at https://cnw.fm/SFWJ
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