“There was no discussion of the lasting harms of marijuana criminalization itself—the arrests, convictions, incarceration and collateral consequences that continue to affect individuals, families and communities.”
By Cat Packer, Drug Policy Alliance
At 7:15 Monday morning, I was standing outside the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, waiting to attend one of the most consequential federal marijuana proceedings in decades: the DEA’s hearing on whether marijuana should be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Although the Drug Policy Alliance, where I work, sought permission to participate as an interested party, DEA denied our request, along with those submitted by organizations including NORML, Marijuana Policy Project, Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition, Latino Cannabis Alliance, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, the Parabola Center for Law & Policy, Supernova Women and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
Many of these organizations have spent decades at the forefront of marijuana reform that addresses the harms of criminalization, prioritizes health, and delivers legalization that puts communities first–but were notably excluded from participation in the hearing.
Instead, the DEA designated just seven parties to participate—and every one of them opposes rescheduling.
The hearing wasn’t
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