Despite supporters stating that the struggle is not worth it, Republicans are still making a last-ditch effort to prevent the Biden administration from re-approving the legalization of marijuana. The comment period for the rule ended last week, and analysis found that more than 40,000 comments have been received, most of which are in favor of this amendment.
These comments include a 42-page letter from 11 Republican state attorneys general, openly opposing the rescheduling move. In the letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, the attorneys general acknowledged that rescheduling does not eliminate the barriers to the marijuana industry’s full integration into the U.S. economy, but they believe it is a step towards “normalizing” the marijuana business.
Dozens of Republicans in Congress also opposed the rule by writing to Biden or proposing amendments at the last minute in the House and Senate. A bicameral letter in early June has been signed by 25 Republicans, led by Senator James Lankford and Representative Pete Sessions. They believe that the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed rule is not well-researched and refute the government’s conclusion about the lower likelihood of marijuana abuse.
They wrote: “Despite the prevalence and high usage of marijuana, we still lack adequate and in-depth research on this drug.”
In May of this year, the White House initiated a formal rule-making process to move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which is considered the most likely to be abused with no recognized medical use, to Schedule III, which is considered to have a “moderate to low” potential for physical and psychological dependence.
However, despite facing various resistances, rescheduling marijuana to a third-class controlled regulation still makes the manufacturing, distribution, dispensing, and possession of marijuana prohibited under the CSA.