They write
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Later this month, a DEA administrative law judge is scheduled to hear testimony on one of the most consequential cannabis policy questions in modern history: whether marijuana should be removed from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. |
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NORML has filed a Notice of Intention to participate in this hearing because cannabis consumers deserve a seat at the table. |
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For more than fifty-five years, NORML has represented cannabis consumers, not special interests. As the federal government reconsiders marijuana’s legal status, the tens of millions of Americans who responsibly consume cannabis cannot be left out of the conversation. |
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Federal scheduling affects whether consumers are treated like criminals under federal law, whether they have access to tested and labeled products, whether they face collateral consequences because of their cannabis use, and whether they can safely participate in legal state markets without fear or uncertainty. |
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As NORML stated in our filing: |
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“Cannabis consumers are directly affected by federal scheduling, and no other likely participant represents them as consumers…The hearing record will be incomplete without NORML’s inclusion.” |
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NORML has long supported descheduling – removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act entirely and replacing prohibition with a cannabis-specific regulatory framework focused on public health, consumer safety, truthful labeling, youth prevention, responsible commercial conduct, and eliminating the illicit market. |
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The outcome of this hearing will shape federal cannabis policy for years to come. But without NORML’s participation, the record may lack the perspective of the very people most directly affected by federal marijuana laws: consumers. |
