The year is nearly coming to a close and little federal progress has been made regarding the legalized cannabis industry. In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) formally recommended reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III controlled substance. Four months later, it is unclear if the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will heed the advice of the HHS or wait until the first quarter of the new year to reschedule cannabis under the Controlled Substance Act. However, there is a group of six governors who want to see cannabis rescheduled by year's end.
"We hope that [the] DEA will follow suit and reschedule cannabis to Schedule III this year, given that 88 percent of Americans are in favor of legalization for medical or recreational use. Rescheduling cannabis aligns with a safe, regulated product that Americans can trust," a five-page letter signed by Governors Jared Polis (Colorado), JB Pritzker (Illinois), John Bel Edwards (Louisiana), Kathy Hochul (New York), Phil Murphy (New Jersey) and Wes Moore (Maryland) reads.
