DEA Finally Upgrades Weed Status Thanks to Biden’s Crew’s Push

Yo, peep this – the DEA just made a groundbreaking choice, linkin’ up with the top fed health agency and suggestin’ movin’ mary jane from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This move is goin’ down after more than half a century of cannabis bein’ on lock, listed as a no-go drug, side by side with heroin, and tagged as havin’ no medical value and a big abuse potential.

Now, check it, shiftin’ marijuana to Schedule III, as co-signed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is gonna have some major impacts on state-legal weed businesses. If this change goes through, it means that weed companies can finally claim those federal tax deductions they’ve been denied under an IRS code called 280E.

This move, first spilled by the Associated Press, would also remove research barriers holdin’ back scientists who wanna study Schedule I substances.

The next move in this reschedulin’ game is for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to peep the rule. If they give the thumbs up, it’s off to public comment before they make it official.

DEA and the Justice Department aren’t sayin’ much about this shift in response to questions from Marijuana Moment. And the White House ain’t sayin’ nothin’, either.

But hold up – just ’cause they movin’ cannabis to another schedule don’t mean it’s all good. Players in state cannabis markets are still breakin’ fed laws, and penalties for certain weed activities will stay put.

DEA’s decision means they feelin’ what HHS found durin’ a year-long science sesh into cannabis before droppin’ their schedule recommendation.

HHS said that Mary Jane “has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” and has “potential for abuse less than the drugs or other substances in Schedules I and II.”

Health officials also peeped that over 30K health pros in 43 U.S. spots are allowed to give the green light for weed use to more than six mil patients for at least 15 medical conditions.

They said, “There exists widespread, current experience with medical use of the substance by [health care practitioners] operating in accordance with implemented jurisdiction-authorized programs, where medical use is recognized by entities that regulate the practice of medicine,” HHS said.

But when it comes to safety compared to other substances, fed health heads said weed got low risks. They checked out databases for emergency room visits, hospital stays, accidental exposures, and most importantly, overdose deaths, and concluded that weed always ranks low compared to other drugs like heroin and cocaine when it comes to overdose deaths.

DEA was gettin’ heat from Biden’s crew, especially Vice Prez Kamala Harris, to wrap up this review quick.

And a crew of 21 congress members hit up DEA to remove Mary Jane from Schedule I quick-fast. They know there’s some debate inside DEA on this call but stress its importance.

Now reports are sayin’ that DEA heads ain’t vibin’ with Biden’s crew over this review.

Meanwhile, FDA’s boss says there ain’t no reason for DEA to stall on this call.

Last month, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra stood by the agency’s choice during a Senate sesh and told cannabis lobbyist Don Murphy to hit up DEA for answers on why they takin’ so long.

So yeah, sounds like things are heatin’ up around reschedulin’ Mary Jane. Stay tuned for more updates on this fresh move!