Rescheduling Marijuana Is 'Unjustifiable Abdication Of Responsibility' Says Black Cannabis Lawyers Assn. Urges Full Decriminalization

The National Association of Black Cannabis Lawyers (NABCL) issued an official statement on President Joe Biden's plans to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance. 

“While we appreciate the administration's clear statement that we must reevaluate our outdated and inaccurate stance on cannabis, NABCL has significant concerns that merely rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III falls drastically short of the comprehensive decriminalization promised to American voters," stated NABCL founder and executive director Natacha Andrews, Esq.

See Also: Cannabis Advocates Say DEA’s Move Represents ‘Progress But Not Justice,’ Ends War On Medical Marijuana Patients, But Not War On Drugs

This week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a proposed rule in the US Federal Register, starting the 60-day public comment period. 

The DOJ proposed to "transfer marijuana from schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act ("CSA") to schedule III of the CSA, consistent with the view of the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use as well as HHS’s views about marijuana’s abuse potential and level of physical or psychological dependence." 

The department is now soliciting comments on this proposal, which must be submitted electronically or postmarked on or before July 22, 2024. 

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Benefits For Large Corporations And Pharma Companies 

Andrews said rescheduling keeps " federal criminalization. With cannabis as a Schedule III controlled substance, arrests, incarceration, and discriminatory policing practices for possession and distribution will persist. Without automatic release provisions, those currently incarcerated on cannabis related charges will remain behind bars." 

NABCL director added that "rescheduling alone creates benefits for large corporate cannabis and pharmaceutical companies through tax incentives – but does not prioritize patients, or support a diverse workforce. It does nothing to improve affordable medical access, protect small businesses, ensure fair wages and working conditions, or mandate reinvestment into the communities ravaged by the drug enforcement policies fueled during prohibition."

During the public comment period, NABCL will help gather support for full decriminalization and comprehensive legalization, calling for reform that prioritizes equitable access, transparency, resentencing, expungements and veterans access. 

"Developing new policies without fully reckoning with those harms is an unjustifiable abdication of responsibility," Andrews pointed out. 

See Also: Cannabis Stocks And ETFs Surged On Marijuana Rescheduling News: WTR’s Industry Report Analyzes What’s Behind The Optimism

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