A GOP senator is condemning the Biden administration over what he describes as repeated refusals from federal agencies to brief Congress on its plans and justification for rescheduling marijuana, which he argues fuels speculation that the proposed policy change is politically motivated.
In a letter sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said he’s “very concerned” about the suppposed lack of transparency in how the agencies arrived at their decision to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Cassidy, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, said HHS “outright refused” to provide a briefing as members of the panel first requested in March, citing “only an unspecified ‘internal policy’” to explain the denial. The agency also hasn’t turned over certain documents that were referenced in its rescheduling recommendation, the senator said. The Justice Department, meanwhile, has been “non-responsive to three requests for a briefing on this matter.”
“Your agencies’ avoidance of the HELP Committee’s attempt to carry out its oversight responsibilities over a matter of critical importance to public health and
Read full article on Marijuana Moment
