In a recent federal filing, six former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chiefs have called on the agency to hold a public hearing regarding President Joe Biden's mid-May proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.

Their logic? "Given the magnitude of the impact of the proposed rule and considering we face an unprecedented drug overdose crisis in this country, we write to emphasize that a hearing on this rulemaking is in the public interest."

If you're wondering how the opioid crisis would negatively affect rescheduling cannabis or vice versa, go to the head of the class.

In support of the DEA's request, reports Marijuana Moment,18 state attorneys general also want a hearing, presumably for the same reason.

Led by South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R) along with attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming have all signed onto this request, noting that a public hearing is in "the public interest, and therefore in the interest of our states." In case you're wondering, all of the aforementioned attorney generals are in red states with the exception of New Hampshire and Iowa, the latter of which is considered a battleground state.

Tension between the White House and the DEA over marijuana rescheduling has been ongoing as some officials seem to be sticking to the belief that cannabis has no medicinal benefits. This, despite the January release by the Department of Health and Human Services confirming that cannabis “has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” and a “potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II."  

The DEA Persists As Deadline Looms

This collective effort comes ahead of the upcoming deadline to file comments urging the DEA to hold a hearing on the rescheduling proposal. "As DEA made clear in the Proposed Rule, additional data and rigorous scientific analysis is needed to determine whether marijuana is appropriately placed into Schedule III. Sifting through the competing claims about marijuana's pharmacological effects, potential for abuse, and implications for public safety are best done at a hearing," noted the agency.

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