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Federal Government Moves to Reclassify Cannabis, DEA Head Accused of Breaking Precedent
As the federal government takes steps to reclassify cannabis and loosen restrictions, the plot thickens. In a shocking turn of events, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) co-founder Kevin Sabet Sharghi, Ph.D., also known as Kevin Sabet, has made allegations against U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head Anne Milgram. According to Sabet, Milgram did not sign the order to reschedule cannabis under Schedule III, breaking with decades of established law and regulations.
The Associated Press reported on April 30 that the DEA will be rescheduling cannabis, moving the plant from Schedule I to Schedule III, following a lengthy process. This decision comes after President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review cannabis’s classification under Schedule I, a category reserved for dangerous drugs with no medical value. Media reports indicated that the DEA agreed to the changes.
However, this latest development has caused controversy and sparked debate on both sides. Milgram testified before Congress on Tuesday at a budget hearing, but initially declined to comment on the Schedule III announcement due to the ongoing rulemaking process. The topic of the hearing was the DEA’s funding request for Fiscal Year 2025.
“It’s hard to overstate how deeply political and flawed this makes the rescheduling process look,” Sabet stated. “DEA Administrator Anne Milgram should be commended for standing up for science and truth, over the profit-driven pot industry. Her courage will show she was on the right side of history. It’s equally hard to overstate what a botched process the Biden Administration’s rescheduling review has been from the outset. This unprecedented action by the Attorney General reflects a process poisoned by political considerations and conducted with a pre-determined outcome.”
In response to a commenter’s suggestion that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland may have signed the order himself, Sabet replied, “Yes, obviously he did. But the statute says he designates this to DEA, and for the first time this didn’t happen. Not saying this means it won’t be done, just saying this breaks big time from precedent (so it’s not just the decision that’s the outlier, but the process too).”
Assuming there are no major changes to the narrative, the reclassification process will now head to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. Sabet, a former drug policy adviser to the White House under multiple administrations, is known for his vocal opposition to cannabis reform in the U.S. He co-founded SAM with Patrick Kennedy and serves as an advisor.
