NORML has submitted its public comments to the Drug Enforcement Administration in support of the reclassification of botanical cannabis.
NORML concurs with views expressed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that cannabis “has a currently accepted medical use” and that its relatively low abuse potential is inconsistent with the criteria required for substances in either Schedule I or Schedule II.
“The HHS appropriately determined that neither scientific evidence nor real-world clinical experience support cannabis’ inclusion in either category,” NORML acknowledged in its comments.
Specifically, NORML cites a 2022 national survey of family practice doctors, internists, nurse practitioners, and oncologists that concluded, “Over two-thirds (68.9%) of clinicians surveyed believe that cannabis has medicinal uses and just over a quarter (26.6%) had ever recommended cannabis to a patient.” NORML also highlights a 2024 scientific analysis that determined that cannabis’ risk of dependence and abuse potential are “substantially lower than those posed by many illegal and legal substances, including tobacco and alcohol.”
NORML concludes: “The determination by HHS that cannabis use does not possess the same public health burden as does the use of alcohol (unscheduled), tobacco (unscheduled) or other controlled substances currently regulated in lower schedules of the CSA (e.g., benzodiazepines) is consistent with decades of worldwide scientific literature. While HHS ultimately recommends transferring cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, NORML wishes to emphasize that these findings similarly provide a factual basis for removing cannabis from the CSA entirely. Although the HHS is not recommending descheduling at this time, NORML asserts that this position is the most appropriate one and that descheduling cannabis should be adopted by future administrations.”
The full text of NORML’s public comments are available here.
Public comments submitted on behalf of California NORML are also available here.
The DEA is accepting public comments through July 22, 2024. Those wishing to provide comments may do so using NORML’s comment submission guide.
To date, nearly 30,000 people have provided public comments.
