Rescheduling vs. Descheduling — The Lexington Line

Drug scheduling is the way the federal government can classify different drugs, substances, and chemicals into five categories based on their medical use and risk for drug abuse. Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse and no medical benefits. As schedules go up, the less of a risk for abuse and more possibility for medical benefit. The list of drugs and their schedule was declared in 1971 in the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), beginning cannabis prohibition.

Cannabis has landed itself as a Schedule I drug along with heroin, LSD, ecstasy, and peyote. Thus, making cannabis highly stigmatized and federally illegal. Throughout the past fifty years, thousands of people have been incarcerated and had their lives ruined for cannabis possession. When someone is federally charged with cannabis possession, they are unable to get jobs and receive federal financial aid. It has also affected black and brown people, along with impoverished communities more than anyone else.

Throughout the past few years, it has been proven more than ever that cannabis does in fact have medical benefits and is not nearly as addictive as other Schedule I and even II drugs. 40 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical use of marijuana and 23 states for adult use. While companies are making legal money off cannabis, there are still people imprisoned for cannabis possession.

President Biden has made many public statements about the possibility of rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, federal pardons to people with non-violent cannabis convictions, and expunging ex-cannabis-convicts records. As of right now, these promises have been empty. Biden first announced this initiative in the Fall of 2022, nearly a year ago, but no progress has been made in his efforts. Cannabis is still a Schedule I drug, no prisoners have been let out, and people still have cannabis convictions on their record.

Despite this step in the right direction, there are some problems with rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to III. Schedule III drugs have moderate to low abuse risk and medical benefits. With this rescheduling, it will land cannabis with drugs such as ketamine, anabolic steroids, and testosterone. Drugs under this schedule are controlled by pharmaceutical companies, which will disrupt present cannabis businesses. Descheduling cannabis will take it off the Controlled Substance list altogether. Substances that are descheduled are alcohol and tobacco. Descheduling cannabis will be the only way to end cannabis prohibition once and for all.