Governors' Push President On Cannabis Rescheduling But Overlook What Schedule III Would Require

Last week, in a letter thanking President Joe Biden for his leadership to federally reschedule cannabis, Democratic governors sought to make the case for rescheduling. Letter to President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., from Governor Jared Polis et al., Dec. 5, 2023.The governors (of Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey and New York) thanked the President for his leadership in directing the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") to reconsider the current scheduling of cannabis and HHS' August 2023 rescheduling recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Administration ("DEA"). Quoting a Pew Research poll, the governors expressed their "hope" that DEA reschedules cannabis to schedule III "this year" because 88% of Americans favor legalization for medical or recreational use.