Congressman Presses DEA On Marijuana Rescheduling Review: 'Move As Swiftly As Possible'

U.S. Rep Steve Cohen (D-TN) has fired a shot across the bow of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), demanding swift action on the ongoing review of marijuana's federal classification. In a letter he sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, Cohen urged the agency to "move as swiftly as possible" and embrace the August recommendation of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reclassify cannabis under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) - cannabis is currently a Schedule I substance.

“I urge you, in the strongest possible way, to follow through on HHS’s recommendation. It is critical that the DEA’s review is expeditious and that your agency quickly initiate the rulemaking process,” said Cohen, reported Marijuana Moment. 

For Cohen, this is not just an administrative shuffle. He sees it as a chance to right historical wrongs.

“Marijuana never belonged on Schedule I. Its inclusion resulted in harsh and disproportionate prison sentences, particularly for communities of color,” he wrote. “Nearly half the states have already legalized marijuana for recreational use by ballot measure.”

Cohen, a longtime advocate for ending federal marijuana prohibition, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to address the issue during a House subcommittee hearing last July but stressed the need for tangible progress. He called on Milgram to take this “historic opportunity to make meaningful progress as Congress works on legislation to deschedule marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act and address some of the inequities caused by this misguided and discriminatory policy.”

The congressman's call to action comes on the heels of HHS completing its scientific assessment under President Biden's directive and recommending a shift from Schedule I, the category reserved for drugs with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, to Schedule III, which includes medications with accepted medical uses and moderate abuse potential.

While the Congressional Research Service suggested the DEA that is likely to follow HHS's recommendation, the agency has asserted its "final authority" over the matter. 

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by US Government, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency via Wikimedia Commons and Cambridge Jenkins IV on Unsplash