GOP Rep. Greg Steube Re-Introduces Bill Re-Schedule Marijuana, Make It Less Restrictive

Pushing for reform under the “Marijuana 1-to-3 Act,” Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) re-introduced a bill to move marijuana from Schedule I to the less restrictive Schedule III under federal law, reported Marijuana Moment.

According to the bill, “the Attorney General of the United States shall, by order not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this section, transfer marijuana (…) from schedule I of such Act to schedule III of such Act.”

Now, the legislation was referred from the House of Representatives to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on the Judiciary, “for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned," per the Congress's website.

Action from the GOP congressman comes some four months after President Biden announced pardons for all federal marijuana possession convictions and directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review marijuana's classification under federal law as a Schedule I drug, the same classification as heroin and LSD.

Biden wants to see marijuana scheduling review “as quickly as possible,’ said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra at that time, adding that the FDA would conduct a review of the plant's federal scheduling status.

In related news, Rep. Steube recently introduced a bill that would protect military veterans from losing government benefits for using medical marijuana in compliance with state law. “As a veteran, I’m committed to ensuring that veterans receive the care they deserve, and I know that sometimes that care can include medical marijuana,” he said.

Don Murphy, an influential cannabis legalization changemaker in Washington, commented: "There’s a fair number of good Republicans on the Veterans Affairs Committee who have voted for SAFE Banking in the past. How do you vote for SAFE Banking and then not support veterans' access? (...) Veterans are the key to moving this forward for Republicans. Veterans and bankers and gun owners. We have to come at this from the conservative side of the aisle," the veteran conservative lobbyist told to Leafly during an interview.

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