A prohibitionist group, represented by Torridon Law PLLC, founded by former Attorney General William Barr, is urging the DEA to extend the public comment period for cannabis rescheduling.
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) submitted the request, arguing that the 60-day window is insufficient and should be extended by another 30 days to gather comprehensive feedback, Marijuana Moment reported.
SAM’s request emphasizes that rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act would be a significant policy shift, necessitating thorough stakeholder input. The group insists that more time is needed to collect data, particularly on the effects of marijuana on adolescent cognitive development, which they argue was overlooked by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
SAM also raises concerns about the legal implications of the rescheduling proposal, including its alignment with international treaties. They cite a previous instance where the DEA allowed a 120-day comment period for a rulemaking process, arguing that the current proposal warrants similar consideration.
Amid these debates, SAM continues to oppose the rescheduling and is exploring legal options to challenge the proposed changes, urging supporters to voice their opposition. The organization also highlights that the DEA’s final decision remains uncertain, as indicated by recent comments from DEA Administrator Anne Milgram and HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Some 20,000 comments are understood to have been submitted to the DOJ since the window opened last month.
