Why Descheduling – Not Just Rescheduling – Cannabis Could Swing The 2024 Election
The Biden administration’s recent move to reschedule cannabis is a step in the right direction but doesn’t go far enough. While the drug will no longer be classified as one of the most dangerous and habit-forming substances, the move falls short of the broader criminal and industrial reforms needed in the current climate.
This is particularly important in an election year. With a record 69% of voters, including a critical 65% of independents – the group most likely to swing the upcoming election – supporting comprehensive reforms to end prohibition, descheduling cannabis entirely could be a major vote-winner. For example, the same study finds that legalization is even more politically popular than government assistance to pay off student loan debt.
Instead of settling for the half-measures of rescheduling, it’s time for candidates to listen to the will of the people and commit to either descheduling or legalizing cannabis. This bold move would not only align with the majority’s stance but also unleash a green wave of economic opportunities and social justice reforms. Such a decision could pay dividends come November.
Why Scheduling Matters
For more than half a century, the scheduling of cannabis has been a contentious issue. This is because the decision in 1970 to place cannabis in the most restrictive category, Schedule I, never made sense. This category is reserved by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for substances with a high risk for abuse and addiction that have “no currently accepted medical use”. I doubt many would argue about drugs like heroin, PCP, and cocaine making this list, but …