Cannabis Coalition Forms To Push Biden On Federal Reform: Will It Work This Time?

Marijuana organizations, industry leaders, cannabis companies and experts in the field are teaming up to push for cannabis reform on the federal level.

Last October President Biden asked the attorney general and Department of Health and Human Service to review cannabis classification under federal law as a Schedule 1 drug, the same classification as heroin and LSD. The move came as part of another important marijuana announcement – Biden’s pardon of all prior federal offenses of simple cannabis possession.

Then in December, Biden officially signed a marijuana research bill into law, making history by enacting the first piece of standalone federal cannabis reform legislation in U.S. history,

Now, as the Biden Administration is actively reviewing cannabis classification, this diverse group is partnering with scientific and legal experts to launch the Coalition for Cannabis Scheduling Reform (CCSR), which will engage with stakeholders in the Executive Branch as well as the FDA, DEA, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Justice. The goal is to provide critical information and analysis concerning the cannabis scheduling reform.

“We formed the Coalition for Cannabis Scheduling Reform to help bring cannabis regulation into line with modern science, medicine, and law,” stated Bryan Barash of Dutchie. “The schedule I classification of cannabis has done irreparable harm for decades, particularly in communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. We are optimistic that the Biden Administration will take significant steps toward closing this destructive chapter of US history.”

When Industry Members Unite

Coalition members include large cannabis operators such as Acreage Holdings ACRHF, Columbia Care CCHWF, Cresco Labs CRLBF, Curaleaf CURLF, Green Thumb Industries GTBIF, PharmaCann and Verano Holdings VRNOF.

Small social equity operations such as NYC's first and so far only legal cannabis shops Housing Works, Smacked and Union Square Travel Agency are involved as are NGOs like Marijuana Policy Project, Hemp for Victory, the Justus Foundation, the Bronx Community Foundation and the Weldon Project.

The American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp, the National Cannabis Roundtable, the New York CAURD Coalition and the U.S. Cannabis Council have also joined.

“This is a critical opportunity for society to have important regulations catch up with science, as millions of Americans use medical cannabis each year in the 38 states where it is legal," said cannabinoid researcher and CCSR advisor Jahan Marcu, Ph.D. "Changing the status of cannabis will allow for objective assessments of the benefits and risks of different products available to consumers while ensuring consistent and standardized products are available.”

The coalition is preparing to release a comprehensive report on the classification of cannabis and the urgent need for reform. The report will detail the critical benefits of descheduling cannabis or rescheduling it to Schedule III, IV or V.

This is not the first time various organizations have united in a call for federal reform. This past April 20, some 85 civil rights and drug policy reform groups led by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), sent a letter urging the Biden administration to reschedule cannabis and back policy reform.

It looks like the industry won’t give up until it succeeds with the cause it believes in it.

Photo: Benzinga edit with image from Shutterstock