Cannabis has Currently Accepted Medical Use in Treatment in The United States!
Medical cannabis advocates have been waiting to hear these words from Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for 50 years! The Biden Administration’s rescheduling recommendation to remove cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III are based on these magic words.
The experiences of medical professionals and research produced from state medical cannabis programs made this qualification possible. Despite the lack of focus on medical cannabis patients in recent news coverage on rescheduling, make no mistake, cannabis rescheduling is a huge victory for patients by patients.
While cannabis rescheduling alone does not restore federal rights to the millions of Americans using cannabis therapeutics or address barriers that millions more face, it completely changes the conversation between patients and medical professionals as well as advocates and policymakers.
This major milestone in medical cannabis advocacy is crucial but without Congressional action, rescheduling will not ensure that patients have access to a safe, affordable, and consistent supply of cannabis therapeutic.
And now with the validation of the US’s top health agencies that cannabis does in fact have medical value, our role as advocates no longer requires us to prove that cannabis has medical value but instead, we can focus steering policymakers toward creating a federal program that will meet the needs of patients. And YOU are the expert on this topic!
For years, Americans for Safe Access has advocated for a national medical cannabis program that would create uniformity in regulations, restore the rights of medical cannabis patients, create nationwide access for therapeutic use and research, and forge a new, purpose-built pathway for cannabis therapeutics. Thanks to the work of patient advocates, the nation is now ready for a national medical cannabis framework!
Your representatives want guidance on this issue and YOU are the best subject matter expert to guide them. Here is what they need to know:
1) That the rescheduling of cannabis only validates the experience of patients but does not restore our rights
2) Congress will have to act for medical cannabis to advance
3) We have a plan!
We need to flood Congress’ inboxes with calls for action! Send a letter to your federal representatives now to ensure the future of medical cannabis!
