Numerous leading veterans groups and a group of prominent US law enforcement leaders have become the latest to throw their weight behind rescheduling cannabis.
The growing pressure comes as some proponents call for President Biden to go further than rescheduling, arguing that not doing so could cost him the election.
NBC News reports that two letters were sent to the Department of Justice last week calling on it to move cannabis from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III, a move currently being weighed up by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Six of the US’ top veterans advocacy groups are understood to have urged the government to ‘expeditiously’ move the process along, stating that they hoped that ‘in treating the wounds of war — both visible and invisible — that our servicemembers and veterans would have access to the widest array of possible treatments’.
A separate letter was penned by a group of 12 prominent former police chiefs, sheriffs and federal state prosecutors raised concerns that the ‘direct conflict between state and federal laws that currently exist’ regarding cannabis ‘make it difficult for law enforcement to respond effectively to pressing public safety challenges’.
“We believe that reclassification under Schedule III would be an important step to help both federal and state law enforcement better prioritize limited public safety resources,” they continued.
Meanwhile other prominent voices have called on Biden to go further. The Hill reported that Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, suggested that rescheduling was ‘vastly less than what we need from the federal government and where the public at large is’.
Her suggestions that decriminalisation could be a major vote winner was echoed by Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster and strategist who serves as president of Lake Research Partners, who told the publication it could be key in swing states.
“It’s a really strong issue with some constituencies that Democrats really need to increase their support and enthusiasm, specifically young people, African Americans, Democratic base voters, people of color, young men of color.”
