Over 400 Physicians And Medical Experts Demand U.S. Gov Fully Deschedule Cannabis, Citing Insufficiency Of Rescheduling
Doctors for Drug Policy Reform (D4DPR), a non-profit organization representing over 400 physicians and licensed medical practitioners, recently released a position paper outlining the critical need to deschedule cannabis entirely from the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (CSA), moving beyond the limited step of rescheduling.
Despite the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services‘ recent proposal to reclassify cannabis to Schedule III thus acknowledging its medical benefits, D4DPR argues that rescheduling is insufficient for comprehensive reform.
Cannabis Regulation: From Open Use To Strict Controls
Historically, cannabis was unregulated in the U.S. until the early 1900s. D4DPR’s position paper reviews how harsh restrictions began with the 1932 Uniform Narcotic Drug Act and escalated over the decades. Despite recommendations for decriminalization from the Shafer Commission in 1972, strict controls under the CSA have persisted, classifying cannabis alongside substances with “no currently accepted medical use” and a “high potential for abuse.”
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